Bruises

In Western medicine, a bruise is characterized as an area of skin discoloration brought about by the rupture of minuscule blood vessels, leading to the leakage of blood into the soft tissue beneath the skin (Alonso et al., 2018, Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine).

This phenomenon is categorized into three types based on location: subcutaneous (beneath the skin), intramuscular (within the underlying muscle), and periosteal (on the bone) bruising (Pounder, 2005, Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine). Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) posits that bruises can generally be attributed to three principal patterns: the accumulation of heat in the blood, causing its reckless flow; blood stasis, which leads to blockage and leakage; and Qi deficiency or spleen weakness, hindering the body's capacity to retain blood within vessels (Huang et al., 2015, The American Journal of Chinese Medicine).