The Viscera (Zang Fu) and Your Health

The Viscera (the internal organs in your body) according to Chinese medicine are similar in some ways to those of western medicine. From a morphological standpoint most of the Chinese organs are equivalent to those in western anatomy. They differ however in their physiological and pathological functions. The spleen in western medicine creates lymphocytes for the destruction and recycling of old red-blood cells. According to the Chinese system, it is in charge of movement and transformation(of digested food, qi, etc.). These two views couldn’t be more different. So it is important to understand that a Chinese medicine doctor when referring to an organ is using Chinese medicine vernacular. Otherwise a doctor’s visit might get confusing. Familiarize yourself with the Chinese medicine organs and their physiological functions and pathology. This will be help you better understand your body as Chinese medicine sees it.

For a more in depth look at organs, continue reading. If you want to learn about other aspects of Chinese medicine, choose from the following:

Yin and Yang  Five Elements  Qi  Blood  Fluids  Qi, Blood, and Fluids  Essence  Channels/Meridians  Diseases and Their Causes  Four examinations  Syndrome Differentiation (Pattern Identification)

Table of Contents:
-Manifestation Theory
-Breakdown of Organs
-Physiology and Pathology

Manifestation Theory
All the organs and their anatomy, physiology and pathology are included in the visceral manifestation theory[藏象学说zang4xiang5xue2shuo1]. It also identifies the organic disease syndromes and their corresponding treatment. One of the most basic tenets of this theory is that all external changes or happenings are all due to the behavior of the organs. As you can see the holistic concept pervades many areas of Chinese medicine.

Breakdown of Organs
The internal organs[脏腑zang4fu3] consist of five zang organs[五脏wu3zang4], si x fu organs[六腑liu4fu3], and six extraordinary organs[奇恒之腑qi2heng2zhi1fu3].Zang: Heart, Lungs, Spleen, Liver, KidneysFu: Gallbladder, Stomach, Large Intestine, Small Intestine, Urinary Bladder, and the Tripler Energizer.Extraordinary: Brain, Marrow, Bone, Blood Vessels, Gallbladder and Uterus.You’re probably wondering why the gallbladder is both a fu and an extraordinary organ. I’ll explain that a little later.Here’s a chart explaining the differences between the Five Zang, Six Fu and the Extraordinary Organs.

Yin and Yang  Five Elements  Qi  Blood  Fluids  Qi, Blood, and Fluids  Essence  Channels/Meridians  Diseases and Their Causes  Four examinations  Syndrome Differentiation (Pattern Identification)

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