Here I continue my illustration of how I see the twelve organ systems as they have been described in Chinese texts and courses of study I pursue. I'm sharing this to give an idea of how I think about how the organs function in the body and how they work together from a Chinese medical standpoint. If you are my patient you've probably gotten bits and peices of this, but I hope to offer a more complete picture in this three-part series.
There's a full introduction to this series and the first four organs in my previous blog post. For now, let's dive right in to the second grouping of organs: the Heart, Small Intestine, Urinary Bladder, and Kidney.
Please note when I use a Capital versus a lowercase when mentioning organs--that will clue you in to when I'm talking about a concept versus the physical organ.
The Heart
We finally meet the Emperor! The Heart is considered the ruler of the other organs, situated in the upper part of the torso and sending life-giving blood to the whole body. Symptoms such as vivid dreaming or sensations in the chest such as heart palpitations can indicate that the Heart is involved in the patient's pattern. We can address any imbalances that affect the Heart indirectly by treating the other organ systems, which will restore balance to the whole.
The Heart is the upper source of fire in the body, receiving fire from heaven and sending it down to the lower part of the abdominal cavity. In this way the Heart above connects with the Kidney below.
The Small Intestine
The Small Intestine is the Receiving Official, accepting food from the Stomach and Spleen, separating the turbid from the pure, and sending the waste down and out while sending the nutrition up to benefit the body. In the physiological body too, the small intestine does a large part of nutrient absorption.
The Small Intestine is a yin/yang, interior/exterior pair with the Heart. The warmth of the Heart, sent down from above, contributes to the SI's ability to absorb nutrients from the food we eat. Some CM practitioners attribute idiopathic urinary tract infection or discomfort to Heart fire flaring along the Small Intestine, usually due to some external upset or influence. In that case, the SI acts almost like a relief valve for the Heart. There are few other common SI symptoms.
The Urinary Bladder
The Urinary Bladder has functions very similar to our physiological bladder. It holds the urine until it's time to release it. The strength of the qi of other organs such as the Kidney aid in this store-and-release function. If there is urinary incontinence or difficulty the UB will be treated, but other organs may also need to be addressed. The condition of the UB also relates to the general state of the fluid metabolism of the body.
The UB channel has the most points of any in the body (67) and runs from the corners of our eyes, over the top of our head, in a double row along our spine, and down to the outside of our smallest toe. It covers the part of our bodies often attacked by wind--the neck and nape. You know that feeling when you're coming down with a cold, and your neck gets all achy? That's the domain of the Urinary Bladder. The UB is connected in this way to the exterior of the body and the Lung, which as I mentioned in the previous post regulates the opening and closing of the pores.
The Kidney
The Kidney is related to cold water and is located low in the body. From its position below the other organs, it combines cold water with the fire that comes down from its partner the Heart to steam a fine mist upwards to moisten the other organs and aid in the digestive powers of the Spleen and Stomach (discussed last time). The watchword of the Kidneys is "storage." If there are things coming out of storage--such as urine leaking out of the Bladder, blood leaking out of the vessels, or fluids leaking from the sexual organs--the Kidney could be involved.
If you have any questions, are curious or confused by this post, or just want to say hi, please email me at MGGaskinLAc@gmail.com or leave a comment here in my blog. I'm always happy to chat with you!
Next time I'll discuss the Pericardium, San Jiao, Gallbladder, and Liver. Sign up for my email list and/or like me on Facebook to be notified when I publish my next post!
**None of this information is meant to help diagnose any medical disorders. If you have any questions please reach out to me or to your primary care physician.