Qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome refers to syndrome caused by stagnation of qi and stasis of blood. This syndrome is usually caused by emotional upsets, or by invasion of pathogenic cold and stagnation of qi and blood. Qi can promote blood circulation and blood can carry qi. Since qi and blood circulate continuously inside the body, qi stagnation and blood stasis frequently affect each other and often appear at the same time.
 
Clinical manifestations:
Depression or restlessness, distending pain or migratory pain over chest and hypochondrium, or accompanied by mass formation, impalpable stabbing pain, purplish tongue or with purplish petechiae, taut and astringent pulse, distending pain of breast before or after menstruation, dysmenorrhea, purplish menstruation with blood clot, or amenorrhea, etc.
 
Analysis of symptoms:
The symptoms in this syndrome vary due to the location of qi stagnation and blood stasis in different viscera and meridians. Clinically the common manifestations are qi stagnation and blood stasis due to stagnancy of qi activity and failure of liver to disperse and convey because the liver governs dispersion and conveyance and stores blood. Depression or restlessness, distending fullness of the chest and hypochondrium, migratory pain and distending pain of the breast are due to stagnation of liver qi and failure of the liver to disperse and convey; hypochondriac lumps and impalpable stabbing pain are due to internal retention of blood stasis resulting from prolonged stagnation of qi and inhibited flow of blood; dysmenorrhea, purplish menorrhea with blood clot and even amenorrhea are due to qi stagnation and blood stasis; purplish tongue or with purplish petechiae as well as taut and astringent pulse are signs of qi stagnation and blood stasis.
 
Key points for syndrome differentiation:
Stagnancy of qi activity, inhibited blood circulation and blood stasis.