What’s in a Name? Chinese Medicine Organs

Patients regularly hear me talk about organs being out of balance. I often refer to the Liver, or the Stomach or the Kidney. These organs, as they relate to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), are different from what we understand them to be in conventional medicine. When written, the Liver (capitalized) is very different from the liver (lowercase) and therefore can get a bit confusing. So let’s break this down.

TCM vs Conventional Understanding

In conventional medicine, organs such as the  kidney, heart, spleen, lung, and liver are physical structures with specific functions. They may exist in a system such as the digestive or urinary system. But in TCM, the organs are more encompassing.

For example, the Kidney (capital K) is a system of its own. It includes the physical kidneys, but also includes the ears, bones, head hair, and even the brain. Chinese medicine organs are functional, emotional, and energetic systems rather than just anatomical structures. They are classified as Zang (solid/Yin),  Fu (hollow/Yang) or Extraordinary. For the purpose of this discussion, we will focus on the 5 main Zang/Yin organs.

The Zang/Yin Organs

Among the organs I most commonly mention during our appointments are:

• Kidney (Contains our life force & determines healthy aging)

• Liver (Allows for free flow of qi/energy & manages stress)

• Heart (Governs sleep & all emotions)

• Spleen (Derives qi/energy from food & ensures strong muscles)

• Lung (Derives qi/energy from air & maintains the immune system)

There is a sixth yin organ called the Pericardium.

These Yin organs are responsible for producing, transforming, storing, and regulating vital substances, including Qi (energy), Blood, Body Fluids, and Essence (Jing). They have relationships with each other and to their Yang organs.

Organs in Focus: Functions and Associations

Below is a chart that outlines some key features of each organ.

	Kidney	Liver	Heart	Spleen	Lung
Element	Water	Wood	Fire	Earth	Metal
Yang Pair	Bladder	Gallbladder	Small Intestine	Stomach	Large intestine
Season	Winter	Spring	High Summer	Late Summer	Autumn
Emotion	Fear	Anger	Joy	Overthinking	Grief
Tissue	Bone	Tendon	Blood Vessel	Muscle	Skin/Hair
Sense Organ	Ears	Eyes	Tongue	Mouth	Nose
Colour	Black	Green	Red	Yellow	White
Taste	Salty	Sour	Bitter	Sweet	Pungent
Sound	Groaning	Shouting	Laughter	Singing	Crying

Why This Matters

When you come in for shoulder pain, I may ask seemingly unrelated questions such as “Do you have food cravings?”, “What’s your predominant emotion?”, “Do you have any issues with your sense organs?”. This is because I’m not just treating your shoulder, I’m treating your body, mind, and spirit. This requires getting to the root cause of your pain.

Shoulder pain can result from any number of imbalances in the body, therefore an accurate diagnosis is essential for optimal results. Your pain will be accompanied by other physical, mental, and spiritual symptoms. When I treat you using needles, Eastern bodywork, or dietary & lifestyle suggestions, all the various symptoms can be treated simultaneously. What’s more, you can also use this comprehension of organ systems to better understand what’s going on inside you and take control of your own healing!

Learn More:

1. Yin Organ Overview, How Stuff Works

2. Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine, by Efrem Korngold and Harriet Beinfield