Stoppage

Also blockage. Cessation of movement of body elements (qì, blood, fluids) and their derivatives phlegm and rheum, due either to intrinsic vacuity or to extrinsic obstruction. For example, qì may stop because it is vacuous, or may be stopped by static blood. Terms denoting specific forms of flow stoppage highlight the degree and nature of the stoppage.

• Inhibition (不利 bù lì) is a mild or partial stoppage or a difficult, halting flowand is applied mainly to the movement of fluids (particularly urine) and the blood; it also describes motor impairment. See inhibited urination; inhibition of lung qì.
• Stagnation (滞 zhì) describes the impaired movement of qì or of food. See qì stagnation; food stagnation.
• Stasis (瘀 yū) most commonly denotes stagnation of blood, i.e., impairment or cessation of blood flowand is attributable to heat, cold, qì stagnation, or injury; it sometimes describes cessation of movement resulting from exuberant heat. See blood stasis; blood stasis.
• Depression (郁 yù) describes stagnation of qì especially when due to affect damage (i.e., emotional causes); also describes stagnation of evils due either to qì stagnation or vacuity of right qì. See for example qì depression; six depressions.
• Bind (结 jié) (adj. bound, 结 jié) describes the intensity of depression (particularly in the context of the emotions and liver qì), the concentration of evils and the hardening that results from either of these (e.g., phlegm nodes; hard bound stool). See depressed liver qì; chest bind; dry bound stool.
• Accumulation (积 jī) denotes the buildup of waste in the digestive tract. See food accumulation.
• Gathering (聚 jù) denotes the coming together in one place of evils. Both gathering and accumulation denote not only processes but specific abdominal masses. See concretions, conglomerations, accumulations, and gatherings.
• Collection (停 tíng) usually denotes buildup of water in specific locations, particularly in the region of the stomach. See for example collecting rheum rib-side pain.
• Amassment (蓄 xù) describes buildup of blood or water. See blood amassment; cold damage blood amassment pattern. cold damage water amassment pattern.
• Congestion (壅 yōng) denotes clogging by exuberant evils, especially in the lung.
• Block (闭 bì) denotes failure of body elements to escape through the exterior (e.g., fecal block, amenorrhea, internal heat block); it is the opposite of insecurity insofar as the latter denotes failure to retain blood or fluids.
• Obstruction (阻、 阻遏 zǔ, zǔ è) denotes the inhibitive effect of a substantial evil on pathways (e.g., the interstices) or bowels and viscera (e.g., the lung or spleen).
• Impediment (痹 bì) blockage (e.g., throat impediment), especially blockage and disturbance of channel flow, usually giving rise to signs such as numbness or pain. See impediment.

Etymology

Chin 不 bù, not; 通 tōng, get through, pervade, communicate.