Traumas are injuries as we are used to thinking of in Western medicine. These injuries can be mild, such as hitting your toe on the edge of a piece of furniture, or serious, such as a broken pelvis after a fall on a ski. One can also consider as a trauma an accumulation of microtraumas following repetitive movements such as those which are carried out on an assembly line for example. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) considers that trauma can cause two effects: Stagnation of Qi and, more seriously, Stagnation of Blood.

Qi stagnation is often the result of a slight injury. It is characterized by locally obstructed meridians. For example, an individual who works long hours at the computer may, after some time, experience diffuse pain in the elbows resulting from a slight trauma caused by poor posture. In TCM, it will be explained that this bad posture blocks the irrigation of the meridians of the wrists. This blockage therefore causes Stagnation of Qi which causes pain in the elbows (see Tendinitis).

Sudden onset

Sudden onset Qi and Blood Stagnation is related to severe injuries. It is also characterized by locally obstructed meridians; however, in these cases not only the Qi but also the Blood is blocked. This Stagnation causes pain that is stronger, localized rather than diffuse, and which may present with visible manifestations such as bruises, cysts and lumps or small blue veins on the skin.

For example, someone runs and sprains an ankle. The sharp and sharp pain is precisely perceived in the ankle; it is lightning and forces the runner to stop. This results in swelling and a bluish color of the skin. In TCM vision, severe trauma such as sprains and fractures, which burst blood vessels and allow Blood to seep into surrounding structures, cause a blockage such that Blood stagnates in surrounding meridians. This Stagnation of the Blood then causes a material blockage preventing the circulation of Qi in the Meridians.

Progressive onset

When Qi Stagnation persists for a while, it can lead to Blood Stagnation, because it is the Qi that makes the circulation of Blood possible. If, for example, a person who works long hours at the computer does nothing to remedy their problem, they may develop chronic pain which will be increasingly present, bothersome and restrictive. The trauma, although less immediate than in the case of the sprain, will have the same consequences.