Based on the Five Element System of Chinese Medicine, the season of spring is reflected by your Liver Organ System. Let’s take a look at an explanation of why an internal organ, as important as your Liver Organ System, has been attached to a season and how you can better understand utilizing Chinese Herbal Formulas to enhance your health. Please note that this is a quick overview and there are volumes written on the subject of the Five Element System. Please take the time to review our breakdown of all five of the organ systems found by clicking the About Chinese Medicine link on our home page.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) divides our world into five separate, yet equally interrelational parts. All that the world encompasses can be found in one of these five categories. This idea can be broken down to explore health problems. By looking at the interrelation of five specific solid and hollow internal organs, a skilled Chinese Herbalist may find an understanding to why health problems may exist. Usually we refer to the solid organ when naming an internal organ system, but attached to it will always be its hollow organ counter-part. Let’s take a deeper look at what we are referring to here.
All that surrounds you and what is inside of you including: the seasons, foods, sounds, flavors, elements of physics and (very importantly) your body’s internal organ systems …can be virtually separated into five categories. In this way the ancient Chinese physicians, theologians and philosophers could better understand life’s ever changing ways and its interplay with the Yang universe above [Heaven] and the solid, Yin below [Earth]. The physicians could now re-direct problems happening externally, or branch disharmonies, to the inner workings of their patients and visas versa. A key point is in the understanding of this ancient Chinese idea of connecting within and without, as above as it is below and in the applying of these Yin and Yang principles to rebalancing and harmonizing your body, naturally back to health. Self-healing and abundant stabilization of your internal organs is a major component, if not the key, to your health and longevity.
Qi manipulation through physical touch, herbal formulas and stone [now needle insertion] along specific energy channels [now known as meridians] were used in the past with the understanding of the Five Element relationships. The Five Element Theory and the utilization of the above modalities still hold true today as a means to understand why disease processes and pathways encompass your body and how to approach a rebalancing regimen leading to true healing and health. There are other, older ways of viewing your body based on natural, complex and scientific means which may also be used by a Chinese Medicine Practitioner. The Five Element Theory of life and all of its interactions is one of those powerful templates.
This knowledge allows for a multidimensional view of organ pattern discernment utilizing disharmonies [i.e. dry eyes, insomnia, chronic bloating, itchy skin…]. This is a far cry from the idea of a bio-medical, allopathic doctor most-likely seeing your body in a grid-like fashion. For instance, when utilizing the idea of the Five Element Theory we can apply it to such a problem as itchy skin. This could be a Blood Deficiency problem requiring help with your Spleen, Kidney or Liver Organ Systems, or all of them to certain degrees. Quite a different approach, to say the least, then what may possibly be viewed by a bio-medical MD or Dermatologist. Let’s take a step back for a wider view on the disharmony of itchy skin. If it is a Blood Deficiency problem, based on multiple pattern imbalances, what other disharmonies may be associated and how does this affect long term health problems? Is itchy skin just itchy skin? Can it be a clue to helping old or up and coming health issues? The answer is: sure.
