Search in dictionary
Blood cold
血寒 〔血寒〕 xuè hán
Also congealing cold with stagnant qì (寒凝气滞 hán níng qì zhì).
A disease pattern chiefly characterized by localized severe cold pain; green-blue or purple coloration that is relieved by warmth.
Description: Fear of cold and cold limbs; localized cold pain of the extremities that is relieved by warmth and exacerbated by cold; local blue-green or purple coloration of the skin with palpable cold. In women, there may be cold pain in the lesser abdomen; delayed menstruation; and dull-purple menstrual discharge containing clots. The tongue is pale purple with white glossy fur. The pulse is sunken, slow, rough or tight.
Diseases: Blood cold is observed in mounting qì (shàn qì), concretions, conglomerations, accumulations, and gatherings, delayed menstruation, and scant menstruation, frostbite, and sloughing flat-abscess (jū).
Pathogenesis: Inhibited movement of blood attributable to localized congealing cold and stagnant qì in the vessels. It results from:
- externally contracted cold evil (repletion);
- exuberant yīn cold arising internally from yáng vacuity (root vacuity and tip repletion).
Blood cold mostly arises through blood congealing in the liver vessel. The reverting yīn (jué yīn) vessel connects with the yīn organs (genitals) and ties to the liver; when cold qì settles in [this] vessel, the blood congeals and the pulse because urgent; hence there is pain from the rib-side to the lesser abdomen.
Analysis of signs
- Cold: Fear of cold and cold limbs.
- Obstruction of qì and blood: Local blue-green or purple coloration of the skin with palpable cold. The obstruction of qì and blood also accounts for the pain, menstrual irregularities, and the sunken, slow, rough, or tight pulse.
- Pain: Localized cold pain of the extremities that is relieved by warmth and exacerbated by cold.
When there is cold, there is pain.
- Women: Cold pain in the lesser abdomen, delayed menstruation, and dull purple menstrual discharge containing clots.
- Tongue: Pale purple with a white glossy fur. The purple coloration reflects inhibited movement of qì and blood. The white glossy fur reflects the qualities of cold.
- Pulse: Sunken, slow, rough, or tight. These qualities reflect the obstructive effect of cold on the flow of qì and blood.
Treatment
Medicinal therapy: Warm the channels and disperse cold; regulate qì and blood. Use Channel-Warming (Menses-Warming) Decoction (温经汤 wēn jīng tāng).
Acumoxatherapy: Supplement and moxa