The Spleen(脾) and the spleen meridian(脾经) Before I start to introduce the spleen, we should clarify the conceptual differences between western medicine and TCM about the spleen. In western medicine, the spleen is an organ that acts as an filter for the blood, and is a part of the immune system. In acupuncture/TCM, the spleen […]
The lungs The functions of the lungs The lungs govern Qi (肺主气) the lungs govern breathing, they take in the clear Qi from the nature and expel the turbid Qi from the body. They are in charge of the exchange of the “new” and the “old” of the body(吐故纳新). the lungs govern all the Qi […]
Functions of the Heart: Governing the blood and the blood vessels The heart is in charge of the flow of the blood through out the body, therefore, it is also in charge of the transportation of nutrients through out the body. This is why the heart is thought to be the king of all other […]
How acupuncture/TCM view the organs Just like modern medicine, acupuncture/TCM also has its own understanding of the organs with a different point of view. In acupuncture/TCM, organs are categorized into 3 groups, Zang-organs, Fu-organs and extraordinary organs. 1.Zang-organs(脏)Zang-organs are solid and are Yin organs. Their functions are regeneration and storage of essence(blood, fat, etc.). There […]
Headaches In acupuncture/TCM, there are 4 common causes for headaches: Wind Invasion: With wind invasion, the flow of Qi is sluggish within the meridians and the headache has irregular manifestations. The pain comes and goes, the types of pain vary, it could feel like stabbing, pressure/distention, or pulsation/jumping pain. It happens often when a person […]
The causes of diseases from acupuncture/TCM’s point of view. When acupuncture/TCM was developed about 2000 years ago, there were no advanced equipment to observe bacteria and viruses, nor were there machines to perform laboratory tests. Yet, people would get sick as we do today. So ancient doctors tried to understand diseases with natural phenomena. Let’s […]
What are the bodily substances in acupuncture/TCM’s point of view? Modern medicine describes the body in term of biochemistry. Acupuncture/TCM has a different point of view about the body. According to acupuncture/TCM theory, there are 4 basic bodily substances – Qi, Blood, Clear fluid and turbid fluid. Promotion of growth and bodily functions – Qi […]
How does acupuncturists/TCM practitioners make diagnoses? Have you ever wondered how acupuncturists choose points to needle? Is it just random selection or is there some methods behind it? Every treatment starts with a diagnosis. Unlike modern medicine, aka western medicine that uses diagnostic imagining, such as X-ray, and lab tests to make diagnoses, TCM has […]
The Flow of Qi in Meridians and organs Each meridian is connected with an organ. In acupuncture, or Traditional Chinese Medicine, the body is thought to be a whole, rather than a sum of individual parts. All the 12 meridians are connected, so are the 12 organs they connect to. As you can see in […]
Acupuncture and Meridians, continued Before we dive in further in meridians, we need to take a look at the Five-Element theory first, because it is deeply related with the meridians. let’s start with what the Five-Element theory is. The Five-Element theory is one of the fundamental theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine philosophy. It thinks that […]
