You've probably wondered " How the hell did I get all those bruises on my legs? I can't remember hitting them anywhere"
The common explanation between the Western and Chinese medicine for this bruising problem is the blood leaking from the vessels which makes those bruises appear under your skin after a couple of days. However, the leakage from the vessels in Chinese medicine is a form of disease related to the Spleen organ .
Spleen(As defined in Chinese medicine and Not Western medicine) is located in the center region of our body and has a fundamental role in our vitality as well as our functionality. Spleen is the key organ for making blood. Another function of the spleen is to keep the blood inside the vessels. Once spleen becomes weak and the energy of spleen (spleen Qi) goes down, the blood can't stay inside the vessels and conditions like hemorrhage, purpura or petechiae may develop. If you easily get bruised without any previous damage to your muscles and tissues, there is a chance that your spleen Qi has become weak. There are many reasons why you've injured your spleen organ. A diet with excess dampness making foods like salads or dairy can weaken your spleen energy. Too much coffee can also damage the spleen by increasing the internal dampness level. Remember that the spleen hates dampness and love dryness. The other types of damaging foods for the spleen are sweet and cold foods or drinks like ice cream or cold water.
Apart from the diet, emotional factors such as overthinking and too much worry can injure spleen and consequently lower its energy level.
If you easily become bruised and also have some other symptoms like loose stools or abdominal distension and bloating after eating, the chance of spleen being the cause of your bruises is getting even bigger.
Avoiding the foods which were mentioned earlier and adding some yam, sweet potato, oat, brown rice, ginger, cinnamon, squash and pumpkin to your diet can help Improve the spleen Qi deficiency. Pay more attention to the health of your spleen organ and hopefully you won't see those bruises again.
Stay healthy,
Hooman Jamshidi
Founder @Dur1 Health
Registered massage therapist (RMT), Certified personal trainer, Student Acupuncturist, Human Anatomy Instructor
E: hooman@dur1health.com C: 416.726.4652