Blood harmonizing therapy is aimed at unblocking the meridians and smoothing blood circulation. In external diseases, in particular skin problems, one of the major pathologies is disturbed nutritive qi flowing in the blood; thus this therapy is widely used in TCM external medicine. Some conditions where this therapy is employed include nodules, warts, keloid, capillary dilations, purpura and thickness.

Commonly selected herbs for harmonizing blood include peach kernel, Chinese safflower, angelica root, red peony root, red sage root and Sichuan lovage rhizome. The remedies are often indicated for supprative and ulcerous diseases that are painful, or skin rashes with a pale or green-purplish color. Sample Prescription: Activate Blood and Dissolve Firmness Decoction (huo xue hua jian tang). The prescription aims at activating blood, removing stasis and dissolving firmness, which is a suitable treatment for the initial stage of swellings caused by a combined influence of qi stagnation, stasis and phlegm such as thyroid lumps, lymph node tuberculosis and tumors.