Functionality Of Organs As Understood In Chinese Medicine
Ask anyone exactly what their organs do and with the exception of the heart and stomach, most people are only aware of rudimentary facts surrounding the functioning of their organs. In Chinese medicine, however, the understanding of the organs and the various functions they perform are part and parcel of everyday life. Even though you may be surprised to learn some of the functions ascribed to various organs, incorporating that understanding into your increasing grasp of alternative medicine as a whole and Chinese medicine in particular will be of the utmost importance.
To this end, here are some amazing facts about the functionality of organs as understood in Chinese medicine:
1. Organs are divided into Yin and Yang. Yin organs are the kidneys, liver, heart, spleen, and lungs while Yang organs are the bladder, gastro intestinal tract, stomach and also gallbladder.
2. In addition to controlling the health of the blood and the veins, arteries and other vessels that transport it, the heart is thought to be the seat of the active mind. In many ways it is considered to be equal in perceived functionality to the kinds of feats Westerners ascribe to the brain.
3. The kidneys are closely related in spiritual importance in that they are home to the will but also oversee the harmony of Yin and Yang within the body as a whole. Physiologically, the kidneys are thought to be in charge of the production of the various bodily fluids necessary for the functioning of the body – with the exception of the blood, of course – and also considered to be instrumental to bone health.
4. As the lungs are the breathing organs, they are also considered to be home of the bodily spirit and when someone takes their last breath it is thought that the soul has emerged from the body on that breath. Interestingly, healthy skin is supposed to be directly related to healthy lungs, and failure to have radiant skin is often seen as a failure of the lungs to function in accordance with the precepts of bodily respiration.
5. It is the liver which is thought to be the seat of the person’s soul and as such it is also the organ that requires treatment if the body as a whole is malfunctioning. It is thought to be instrumental to nerve health but also blood health.
6. The spleen, so misunderstood in Western medicine, is said to be the seat of active intellect but also the control center of musculoskeletal health, even though the bones themselves do not fall under its auspices.
7. As a whole, the Yang organs receive a lot less attention and even though in Western medicine the gastrointestinal tract is of extreme importance to many practitioners who claim that colon cleanses are the answer to most ailments, practitioners of Chinese medicine view them as organs which are containers rather than fleshy through and through, and as containers their primary functions are simply related to the body’s waste management. To this end, no higher functions are ascribed to them.
