Its opposite condition is known as “Blood Stagnation” (or “Blood Stasis”) and is a concept unique to Traditional Oriental Medicine with no direct equivalent in Western Medicine. Blood Stagnation can be thought of as Blood that is no longer able to function as Blood. It is not circulating properly within the body and instead will actually create problems and disease.

One simple example of this would be the case of trauma suffered from a sports injury. The purple discoloration from the bruising that occurs is blood that has leaked out from the blood vessels, and is no longer available for use by the body.

Blood Stagnation is commonly associated with an extremely wide range of symptoms, including:

• heart problems such as arteriosclerosis & hypertension
• pressure sensation in the chest
• shoulder & upper/mid back stiffness
• dry mouth
• rough & dry skin
• liver disease such as hepatitis
• chronic constipation
• sciatica & lower back pain
• varicose veins
• cold sensation in the body, especially the lower back, legs, & feet, sometimes accompanied by heat sensation in the upper part of the body & face

Many gynecological health problems are also often seen in cases of Blood Stasis, including:

• irregular menstrual periods
• painful periods (dysmenorrhea)
• ovarian cysts
• uterine fibroids
• infertility or miscarriage
• other hormone imbalances

Besides the various symptoms that usually accompany Blood Stagnation, other methods are also used to confirm the diagnosis. For example, when examining the abdomen during acupuncture treatment, oftentimes there will be tenderness to the touch, especially either under the ribcage area or in the lower abdomen.

There are many combinations of factors that can lead to Blood Stasis, including infections, trauma & accidents, chronic Liver problems, and irregular menstrual cycles.

Some people also tend to have an hereditary predisposition which leaves them more susceptible towards this condition.

Finally, emotional disturbances, especially repressed anger, is another common contributing issue that needs to be considered when treating Blood Stagnation.

Tips for Reducing Blood Stagnation

1. Take care of your injuries – Bumps, bruises, sprains, fractures, surgeries – these are all forms of trauma to the body. However, Blood Stasis can take many years to develop before manifesting as health problems, so it’s important not to neglect or inadequately treat injuries at the time they occur.
2. Moxibustion – a form of heat therapy using the burning leaf of the Mugwort plant, moxa is often recommended for home treatment and when used on certain acupuncture points, has a regulating effect on the body’s Blood circulation. In the case of trauma & injuries, it can be used to facilitate the healing process and helps to prevent Blood Stasis from developing in the injured areas.
3. Relax the back – in acupuncture & shiatsu, the area between the shoulder blades contains vital points that correspond to the Heart and Liver systems, two of the most important organs involved with regulating Blood circulation. This region, especially in situations of Blood Stagnation caused by emotional stress, tends to become tight and constricted if left untreated. As the area becomes more relaxed, accompanying symptoms will often improve as well.

“Blood Deficiency” is a concept unique to Traditional Chinese Medicine and can be thought of as a decreased ability of the Blood to provide the proper nourishment to the rest of the body.

Although somewhat similar in idea to anemia, Blood Deficiency encompasses a much broader range of symptoms, and Eastern Medicine relies on its own methods of diagnosis rather than blood tests to evaluate and treat this condition.

Some of the more common symptoms associated with Blood Deficiency include:

• fatigue & chronic tiredness
• pale complexion
• dry hair & skin
• brittle nails
• blurred vision & “floaters” in the eyes
• poor memory
• depression
• insomnia, especially difficulty in falling asleep

Other cases sometimes include symptoms such as:

• muscle spasms & cramps
• numbness in the limbs
• dizziness & vertigo

In addition, women may experience:

• scanty or irregular menstrual periods
• infertility or miscarriage

In Traditional Chinese Medicine physiology, the digestive system (often referred to as the Spleen-Pancreas system) is responsible for manufacturing the Blood, while the Liver system is the one that stores, distributes, and regulates the Blood flow throughout the entire body, so treatment of Blood Deficiency usually focuses on supporting both of these systems.

There are many different factors that can contribute to a Blood Deficient condition.

Improper diet is one common cause. Vegetarians are especially susceptible to this, and should make sure to add adequate amounts of Blood-nourishing foods to their diet.

Because of their connection to the Liver according to TCM theory, overuse of the tendons and the eyes is another common cause, and is frequently seen in athletes who over train their bodies or students who do a lot of computer work or reading.

Prolonged bleeding, especially menstrual or gastrointestinal bleeding disorders, may also lead to a Blood Deficient condition, but of course the underlying cause of the bleeding needs to be addressed first.

Tips for Nourishing the Blood

1. Add some berries – Gou Qi Zi, better known as the Goji berry, is one of the more famous Chinese herbs used for nourishing the Blood. However, other dark berries are also beneficial, including blueberries and blackberries.
2. Blackstrap molasses – rich in iron and other minerals, taking about 1 tablespoon a day on a regular basis can help to give the blood a boost.
3. Green protein – especially good for vegetarians and people who engage in a lot of physical activity, foods such as spirulina and chlorella can be important additions to the diet when dealing with Blood Deficiency. Chlorophyll, the substance that gives these foods their green colour, has often been referred to as “plant hemoglobin” for its close resemblance in composition to blood. In addition, the protein provides the building blocks necessary for helping to rebuild and strengthen the blood.

In Eastern medicine, stress can be roughly categorized into 2 types – physical and emotional – although there is quite a bit of overlap between them because Traditional Oriental Medicine views the body, mind, and spirit as being inter-related to each other.

Physical stress can be caused by many factors, including overwork, not enough rest, environmental toxins, and simply pushing the body too much.

In terms of acupuncture theory, it is the Kidney system which is mostly affected by prolonged physical stress. In Eastern medicine, when talking about the Kidney meridian system, it relates not only to the urinary and reproductive organs, but also encompasses aspects of the entire endocrine system, including the adrenal glands.

Adrenal burnout is a relatively new medical term, but the symptoms are very similar to those classically described in Chinese medicine as “Kidney Deficiency“:

• chronic fatigue
• poor memory & concentration
• blood sugar imbalances
• lower back pain
• blood circulatory problems
• weight gain / loss
• hormonal imbalances

On the other hand, the second main type of stress – emotional stress – affects mostly the Liver meridian system, which in Eastern medicine includes not only the liver organ, but other related functions including blood circulation throughout the body, as well as the connective tissue and tendons.

Symptoms of this emotional stress on the Liver system can include things such as:

• anxiety & depression
• anger & irritability
• poor blood circulation
• menstrual problems
• headaches
• neck & shoulder pain
• digestive issues

Unfortunately, stress will always be a part of our lives, although efforts should be made to reduce it whenever possible. However, helping to regulate and strengthen the Liver and Kidney systems can be useful in allowing us to better cope with our stress and stay healthier.

Tips for dealing with Stress

1. Eat some seaweed – regularly adding moderate amounts of various seaweeds to your diet can be useful in strengthening the Kidney system. Some varieties commonly available include kelp, dulse, nori, and wakame, which can easily be added to soups and other recipes.
2. Breathe deep – besides being useful in calming down the mind when stressed, slow and deep abdominal breathing has other health benefits in regulating the Liver & Kidney systems. Focused breathing into the lower abdomen can help reduce neck and shoulder tension as well as improve overall blood circulation. One simple method that can easily be done at night when lying down in bed is to place both hands, one on top of the other, just slightly below the navel. Concentrate the mind on where the hands are places. On the inhale, imagine the sensation of a balloon gently inflating beneath the hands, and on the exhale, it should be a feeling of gently deflating. Let the inhalation last for approximately 4 – 6 seconds, and the exhalation for 6 – 8 seconds. Even just 5 or 10 minutes of daily breathing practice can have noticeable and beneficial results.

Traditional Oriental Medicine always views the physical organs, along with their corresponding energy meridian pathways, as an integrated whole. Because of this, when Eastern medicine talks about an organ, it is referring to the entire system which often includes other associated parts of the body, not just the local area of the physical organ.

Emotions in general are said to be controlled by the Liver system, but in particular, anger and frustration are closely related to the Liver.

In the case of an angry, irritable person, the Liver energy is too active and is described as a Fire that rises up towards the top of the body. The normal direction of Liver energy flow, upwards and outwards, has been taken to an extreme, and this can clearly be seen as their voice becomes loud, their body movements become agitated, their blood pressure rises as blood rushes upwards to their head, their face turns red and the eyes become bloodshot, and veins in the forehead become distended.

At the other extreme of the emotional spectrum would be someone who suffers from depression. Instead of the Liver energy travelling upwards and outwards, it begins to stagnate and turn inwards on itself, causing symptoms such as pent-up emotions, frustration, depression, and an inability to express feelings. 

Another aspect is that in Traditional Oriental Medicine, the energy meridian system is described as functioning in pairs. In the case of the Liver, it is directly coupled with the Gallbladder meridian which starts from the temple area, travels down the sides of the head and neck, through the tops of the shoulders, down the ribcage, through the hips, and down the sides of the legs to the feet.

Because of this pathway, other common health conditions often related to the Liver include migraine headaches, neck & shoulder tension, and sciatica pain. Other body parts are also associated with the Liver system such as connective tissue, tendons, and the eyes.

Finally, in Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Liver is described as storing and regulating the Blood. Because of this close association with Blood, the Liver system is extremely important when treating women’s health issues.

Some health problems such as menorrhagia or amenorrhea are related to blood flow (too much or too little), while other problems such as dysmenorrhea (painful periods) and PMS are more to do with the energy flow of the meridians. In all cases, regulating the Liver system is an important aspect of treatment.

Hopefully, this brief introduction to the Liver system gives a better understanding of how Traditional Oriental Medicine views and interconnects the entire body.

Some conditions often related to the Liver

• migraine headaches
• neck tension
• sciatica pain
• irritability
• stress
• depression
• PMS
• irregular or painful menstrual periods
• endometriosis

Tips for keeping the Liver healthy

1. Eat your greens – green foods are particularly nourishing for the Liver. Some excellent green foods include broccoli, kale, cabbage, chard, spinach, spirulina, chlorella, and barley greens.
2. Regulate your emotions – because the Liver regulates all emotions, it is important to try and keep them in balance. If you’re the type of person who tends to be irritable and easily angry, find ways of easing your stress levels, and deep breathing is an important tool for maintaining composure. On the other hand, if you are the type who tends to hold things in, find ways of better expressing yourself in order to maintain a healthy flow of Liver energy.
3. Stretch your Liver meridian – the Liver meridian starts from the big toe and travels up through the inside of the leg and thigh before entering the torso. A particularly good stretch is a groin stretch, where you sit on the floor with the soles of your feet touching each other in front of you. Let your knees settle downwards towards the ground and hold this position for 1 minute, making sure to breathe into the tight areas.
4. A little bit of alcohol – in small amounts, alcohol actually helps to promote blood circulation so is healthy for the Liver. However, moderation is the key, as too much of a good thing can actually have an opposite effect.