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Obstruction syndromes

Obstruction syndromes

by | 2929,Jun, 2025 | Traditionnal chinese medicine

Understanding Painful Obstruction Syndromes

Bi, or Painful Obstruction Syndromes, are commonly encountered clinical syndromes. They result from the obstruction of meridians by the combination of the “three demons” (Wind-Cold-Dampness) according to TCM. These correspond to multiple pathologies in Western medicine such as osteoarthritis, arthritis, fibromyalgia… among many others.
Let’s explore these Bi through Koffi’s story.

The morning everything went wrong

Koffi is not a hero, nor a sage, nor a serious sick person. He is just a normal man…
A self-employed graphic designer, aged 36, he lives in a small apartment, surrounded by his plants and his cat Noodle. Two to three times a week, he runs a few kilometers. He has adapted to the pains he regularly feels upon waking up: “I must have slept wrong”.
But one morning, as he puts his foot on the ground, a searing pain shoots through his hip. Not violent enough to scream, but too precise to be ignored. He stretches, shakes his leg but to no avail. And Koffi thinks to himself: “It’s official. I’m getting old.”
But this pain bothers him, he doesn’t understand the cause. He spends the day limping, searching the internet: “right hip pain upon waking up for no reason”, exploring forums but with no result.
Come evening, a friend tells him about a “Chinese doctor” located nearby, in a discreet little courtyard. Pushed to the limit by fatigue, pain, and probably a touch of curiosity, Koffi makes an appointment.

At Doctor Shen’s

The Chinese doctor is a small, slender man, with a disconcerting acuity in his gaze. His name is Shen. He gestures for Koffi to sit down, then without a word, takes his wrist, and delicately places three fingers on the radial at the wrist. The contact is light, almost imperceptible. Yet Koffi feels something – a form of intense attention. Doctor Shen closes his eyes.
After a moment, in a calm voice, Shen tells him: “The Qi is not circulating. There is an invasion of Wind – Dampness.” Koffi, feeling a little embarrassed, coughs: “An invasion… by what exactly? Bacteria? A virus?”
Shen opens his eyes and tilts his head: “No. Perverse energies. External breaths. Wind, Cold, Humidity. They have entered. Your body has opened the door.”
Koffi is a little taken aback by this speech, but he feels that he can trust this strange doctor. Shen continues: “Do you have pain upon waking, but less when moving?”
Koffi nods. “A sensation of heaviness in the leg? The pain that moves a little?” Koffi nods again.

Bi syndrome

“Bi Syndrome,” Shen concludes. “Qi and Blood blockage in the meridians.” He pauses, then says, “We’re going to get things moving. You’ll see.”
He takes out his acupuncture needles and begins his treatment. Shen handles them like a calligrapher, with a calm, almost affectionate concentration. He inserts one into Koffi’s leg, just below the knee. Another into the ankle. Then another near the hip. “You’ll feel like a taut thread,” he says calmly. “That’s the Qi. It responds… It returns.”
Koffi does indeed feel something, a deep tingling sensation. He wants to know more about this Bi and asks Shen about it.
Shen sits up straight: “Bi means ‘obstruction.’ It’s when something blocks the circulation of Qi and Blood. When the body becomes like a city with traffic jams: the streets are there, but nothing is moving.” He explains that there are different types of Bi, each with its own personality (see sidebar).
Then he continues: “These ignored pains, these little ailments that ‘will pass,’ sometimes they are Bi. And if we let them take hold, they become chronic. They infiltrate. They gnaw. And one day, you can’t lift your arm. Or walk. Or sleep.”

Pain: A Signal to Take Seriously

Pain: a signal to take seriously
Staring into Koffi’s eyes, he said to him: “It’s not urgent because it’s serious. It’s urgent because it’s light.” Koffi blinks: “You mean… the more discreet it is, the more attention it needs?”
Shen smiles for the first time. “Exactly. The body speaks softly at first. Then it screams. And sometimes, it falls silent… but it deteriorates.”
Koffi begins to realize that Shen’s medicine is not “alternative” medicine. That it is an ancient, precise, demanding, but deeply human reading of life.
After the treatment, Dr. Shen removes the needles and says again: “Pain is not the enemy. It’s an alarm bell. It’s the body warning you that there is an imbalance, that something is not flowing properly, or not enough. And that you have exceeded your limits without listening.” He explains that where the Qi flows, there is no pain. On the contrary, where the Qi stagnates, pain appears. Pain is the Qi knocking at the door because it can no longer pass through.
If we ignore this signal, the pain settles in, or even changes shape. And in the long run, if the imbalance persists, the disease sets in. “Pain – concludes Shen – is the body asking for a return to harmony. Don’t silence it. Learn its language. And it will thank you.”
Leaving the office, Koffi is not “cured”. Not yet.
But he walks differently. Slower. Straighter. Like someone who no longer avoids his pain, but listens to it. He begins to perceive its hidden meaning.

Key points

According to TCM, the term Bi means “obstruction”. This is a disturbance in the harmonious circulation of Qi (vital energy) and Blood. This imbalance is often caused by the invasion of external pathogenic influences, called Xie Qi: Wind, Cold, Dampness, and sometimes Heat.

Each type of Bi has specific characteristics:
– Wind Bi: migratory, variable pain.
– Cold Bi: fixed, deep pain, worsened by cold.
– Damp Bi: sensation of heaviness, swelling, numbness.
– Heat Bi: intense pain, redness, inflammation.
Here are some situations that can generate Bi:
• Irregular waking and sleeping hours, or overwork, injure Qi and Blood, weaken the meridians, and weaken the body’s defenses. This allows external Pathogens to enter.
• A cold or damp living environment, a professional activity exposing to Cold, Wind, and Dampness favor the penetration of external Pathogens into the body.
• Excessive alcohol consumption, a diet that is too rich or insufficient injure the Qi of the Spleen, leading to the internal production of Phlegm and Dampness that then circulate in the meridians.
• Excessive eating injures the Essence and Blood. The Deficiency of Yin leads to excess Fire, and the Blood can no longer nourish the Tendons.
• Stagnation of the Seven Emotions (Anger, Joy, Emotional Shock, Worry, Sadness, Excessive Thinking, Fear), and stagnation of Blood in the meridians.
• Bruising or stagnation of Blood after external trauma.

The Stagnation

The Stagnation

by | 3131,May, 2025 | medical, Traditionnal chinese medicine

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When energy freezes

In the subtle vision of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), life is movement. Qi, Blood, and bodily fluids must flow freely, like breath through branches, like a stream between stones. This vital flow supports health, mental clarity, and peace of mind. But sometimes, this current slows down. It whirls without moving forward, becomes cloudy, thickens… and eventually stagnates.

This phenomenon is called stagnation. It is not a frozen state, but a progressive, often insidious, imbalance that can seed most modern chronic disorders. When energy ceases to dance, life becomes heavier, more tense… sometimes painful. This stagnation is the root of many pathologies.

Repressed emotions

Stagnation can affect different levels. The most common is Qi stagnation, especially at the Liver level, the master of free circulation in the body. This imbalance is directly related to contained, unexpressed emotions, stress, frustration, and even suppressed anger. Modern humans are saturated with it. The signs are often discreet but revealing: tension in the flanks, frequent sighs, fluctuating mood, chest tightness, menstrual disorders, and even depression.

When stagnation persists, it deepens. Blood, in turn, may cease to circulate harmoniously. This is called Blood stasis. This type of stagnation is denser, more rooted. It manifests as fixed, localized, often nocturnal, and sometimes violent pain. It is the cause of many gynecological disorders – endometriosis, fibroids, painful periods – but also of masses, nodules, or abnormal scarring.

At another level, stagnation can concern organic fluids and cause an accumulation of moisture or mucus. This creates a state of physical and mental heaviness: slow digestion, sticky fatigue, pasty tongue, heavy limbs, mucus, mental confusion. It is a gentle, slow, invisible – but tenacious – stagnation.

When inflammation sets in

Sometimes, the nature of this stagnation evolves further. Excessively stagnant Qi generates heat born from friction. This phenomenon is feared in TCM: stagnation then transforms into heat. This internal fire can manifest as inflammations, irritability, redness, a sensation of localized heat, and even hemorrhages or skin disorders. This is a turning point in the imbalance: at this stage, the blockage is not only seeking to be released – it attacks.

This stagnation fire can take root in the tissues and evolve into complex pathological forms. This is called “phlegm-heat” (Tan Re), a form of perverse accumulation that infiltrates deep organs, forming hard, hot, painful masses. In the perspective of TCM, certain degenerative processes such as cysts, nodules, or even tumors can take root not through external aggression, but through unresolved internal accumulation.

This imbalance affects all ages and social strata. Women are often more sensitive to it due to the cyclical nature of their blood and their deep connection to the Liver and Uterus. But men, children, the elderly, sedentary individuals, and hyperactive individuals are also exposed to it.

Signs of Stagnation

Because stagnation does not arise directly from lack of physical movement: it essentially emerges from emotional imbalances.

  • The Liver governs anger and emotional flexibility. Its stagnation prevents adaptation and psychic fluidity.
  • The Heart governs the mind (Shen); persistent stagnation disrupts the Shen.
  • The Spleen, weakened by excessive rumination or worry, can produce Phlegm that blocks the mind.
  • The Kidneys, in case of deficiency, can deprive the Heart and Liver of their Yin or Yang base.

It is possible to feel this stagnation before it becomes pathology. A heavy digestion, a slightly purplish tongue, diffuse pains, disturbed sleep, irregular menstrual cycle are signs of stagnation. Similarly, a constant need to sigh, a feeling of blockage in the throat or the solar plexus.

A tailored diet

In TCM, stagnation will be treated through herbal medicine, acupuncture, and of course, diet. What we eat is not only matter but also information. An appropriate diet can prevent the appearance of stagnations, or dissipate those that settle in.

When Liver Qi is confined, a spring diet is recommended, light and rising. It promotes free circulation. Green vegetables, sprouts, aromatic herbs like mint, white radish, celery, citrus fruits, light green tea are powerful allies. Conversely, excess fats, red meat, refined sugar or alcohol worsen the internal pressure.

When the Blood freezes, we turn to a blood-vitalizing diet. Red, nourishing and fluidifying foods are most suitable: beetroot, black rice, quail eggs, goji berries, carrots, a hint of natural red wine. Anything cold, industrial, or too salty should be avoided.

Personalized treatment

To counter moisture stagnation, often related to a weakened Spleen, a warm and drying diet is preferred. Red beans, lotus seeds, pearl barley, dried ginger, white pepper, steamed root vegetables. Dairy products, bananas, raw vegetables, and sweet juices are the main saboteurs of this dynamic.

And when stagnation has already turned into heat, it is important to soothe while draining: lotus, chrysanthemum, white peony root, cooked cucumber, celery, bitter melon, clear soups made from light legumes can then accompany a more comprehensive strategy of gentle detoxification. We do not combat fire with ice, but with fresh and orderly moisture.

But the best results will be obtained by combining various TCM tools, with a personalized diagnosis and treatment. It will often be valuable to add emotional support and physical exercise or even qi gong.

Cultivating a Calm Mind

Emotions play a major role in the genesis of stagnation. Depending on the emotion involved, it will manifest in the organ to which it is related.
Excessive joy – or excitement – leads to stagnation of Qi in the heart. This can cause irregular or rapid heartbeat, as well as hypertension, insomnia, and restless mind, etc.
Anger leads to stagnation of Liver Qi, the main organ responsible for the free circulation of Qi in the body. This can lead to vision problems, diarrhea, dry and brittle nails, tinnitus, dizziness, and headaches. This stagnation – or over-suppression of Liver Qi – is also the cause of premenstrual syndrome or depression. According to The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine, pain in the body is the direct result of anger interfering with the flow of Qi in the Liver.
Persistent thoughts or rumination can lead to stagnation of Qi in the Spleen and a loss of its vitality. This can result in decreased appetite, bloating, foggy mind, and a lack of ability to resolve things.
To remedy this, it is important to be alert to our emotions, to be aware of them, and not let them control us.
By cultivating a calm mind on a daily basis, we will reduce the risk of emotional overflow and stagnation.

The five breath

The five breath

by | 2525,Apr, 2025 | medical, Traditionnal chinese medicine

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The dance of the Five Elements

The theory of the Five Elements is fundamental to Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is a model of the energy balances at work in Nature. Penetrating the essence of these elements and their interactions is a valuable learning experience.

The Five Elements are not fixed categories. They form an eternal cycle. Wood feeds Fire, which creates Earth (ashes), which generates Metal (in minerals), which condenses Water, which feeds Wood again.

A wheel that reminds us of the I Ching, or Classic of Transformations. Today, in the tumult of the modern world, this ancient wisdom has a new relevance. Whether we live in Shanghai or Marseille, in a monastery or an open-plan office, the Five Elements offer us an inner compass.

“If you can perceive within yourself the murmur of Wood, the warmth of Fire, the stability of Earth, the clarity of Metal, or the depth of Water… then perhaps, for a moment, you will have walked the path of the Dao.”

By observing our body, our emotions, our relationships, we can sense which element is in excess or deficiency, and restore harmony. This is the art of energetic diagnosis, but also of aligned living.

The Dao, the invisible thread of transformation At the heart of this system lies the Dao, the silent origin, the way that is not spoken but lived. The Five Elements are but reflections of the Dao in the manifest world. Each element is a mirror of the Dao in a particular phase of life.

By honoring the Five Elements, we return to the wisdom of the living, to balance and fluidity.

The origins of Breath

More than three thousand years ago, in the fertile valleys of the Yellow River, sages observed the sky, the earth, animals and the beating of the human heart. They already understood that life is not a series of isolated events, but a vibrant network of relationships and interactions.

Thus was born the theory of the Five Elements – Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water – a poetic, philosophical and medical language to describe the dynamics of the Universe.

These elements are not materials, but movements and transformations. They represent phases of mutation of Qi, the vital energy, always in motion, always linked to the Dao, the natural path of the universe.

The morning of the world

Wood is birth, momentum, growth. It is spring breaking through the ice, the child discovering the world. Its movement is expansive, pushing outwards, upwards. It’s the tree that splits the rock, the will to live.

Wood is aspiration in the spiritual tradition. It symbolizes vision – not just of the eyes, but of the heart. It inspires artists, inventors and pioneers.

Today, the Wood element can be found in the creative entrepreneur, the activist who dreams of a better world, or in the teenager in search of an identity. But when Wood is unbalanced, it becomes anger, frustration and rigidity, which originate in the liver and gall bladder.

The zenith of transformation

Fire is associated with paroxism: summer for the seasons, the maturity of the accomplished adult, the brilliance of the day at its zenith. We speak of love, joy or human warmth.

Fire burns at the center of our chest in the Heart, the emperor of organs according to Chinese medicine. It also governs the Small Intestine, the Heart Master and the Triple Warmer.

But Fire is also openness, generosity, sincere communication, the ability to love without possession. It’s the laughter of a child, the flame of a monk at prayer, the fire of a shaman in trance.

When Fire is unbalanced, it becomes overexcited, agitated and can lead to insomnia. In our contemporary world, saturated with digital stimuli, Fire is often in excess, fueled by a compulsive need for attention and gratification.

Breath of detachment

Metal corresponds to autumn, falling leaves, old age and the return to basics. It is associated with the Lungs and the Large Intestine, masters of rhythm and elimination. It teaches the art of letting go, the beauty of silence, the nobility of impermanence.

Metal is the discipline of the monk, the righteousness of the samurai, the poetry of emptiness. It is the element of breath – the inhalation of life, the exhalation of death. It knows how to recognize the value of things and naturally detaches itself from the useless.

In a consumerist civilization, rediscovering Metal means learning to say “no”, honor grief and purify our inner space. When Metal is blocked, sadness, melancholy and difficulty in turning the page appear.

Anchoring to the mother

The Earth is the center around which life revolves. It’s the end of summer, the time of harvest. Organically, it governs the Spleen and Stomach, the organs of digestion, not only of food, but also of emotions and ideas.

Earth symbolizes stability, acceptance and trust. It is the energy of the nurturing mother, or of the wise man sitting in contemplation in a field. It embodies listening, caring and refocusing on the inner life. When this tranquility is disturbed, the individual falls prey to mental rumination, over-control, chronic worry or anxiety.

In an age of dispersion, the Earth is a reminder of simplicity, of presence. Shocking contrast: the lack of Earth manifests itself in inner exile; bodies are nourished, but spirits are starved.

Depth and invisibility

Finally, water corresponds to winter, night, dreams and death. It governs the Kidneys and Bladder, the guardians of our ancestral energy. It is the force of Yin, of silence, of mystery.

It is the memory of the world, the wisdom that lies dormant within us all. It is the underground river of our intuitions, the fear that protects, deep sexuality and gestation. Spiritually, Water embodies absolute trust in the flow of the Dao, humility in the face of the unknown.

It is the energy of hermits, shamans and children in spontaneous meditation. Sadly, in our fast-paced world, chronic fear, exhaustion and existential emptiness all reflect a lack of Water energy. But when it flows freely, Water heals. It links generations, transmitting the very essence of life.

A diagnostic and treatment tool

These five elements perpetually interact with each other, the balance of one having repercussions on the others. These interrelations have been modeled by TCM (see below).0pxThe Chinese physician uses the theory of the five elements to diagnose and treat his patient.

The principle is always to restore overall balance by acting on the elements in imbalance. Feng Shui masters also use the Five Elements to balance the energy of living spaces.

The dynamics of the 5 elements

The balance of the Five Elements is based on the interactions described by the following two cycles: the cycle of generation and the cycle of control.

The generation cycle (or creation cycle) illustrates a relationship of mutual nourishment and support. Each element begets the next: Wood nourishes Fire, Fire creates Earth (ashes), Earth bears Metal (minerals), Metal begets Water (condensation), and Water nourishes Wood. It’s a harmonious cycle that ensures a continuous flow of energy.

The cycle of control (or cycle of domination) describes a relationship of regulation and limitation. Each element controls another: Wood controls Earth (roots holding back the soil), Earth controls Water (dikes), Water controls Fire (extinguishes it), Fire controls Metal (melts it), and Metal controls Wood (the axe cuts the wood). This cycle maintains balance by preventing one element from becoming dominant.

These two cycles help us understand the dynamics of the five elements and their interrelationships within the body and the environment.