The Liver () is one of the
zàng organs stipulated by
traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. It has been described as "fraught with pseudoscience", with the majority of its treatments having no logical mechanism of acti ...
(TCM). It is a functionally defined entity and not equivalent to the anatomical organ of the same name.
In the context of the zang-fu concept
As a zàng, the Liver is considered to be a
yin
Yin may refer to:
*the dark force in the yin and yang from traditional Chinese philosophy and medicine
*Yīn (surname) (), a Chinese surname
*Yǐn (surname) (), a Chinese surname
*Shang dynasty, also known as the Yin dynasty
**Yinxu or Yin, the S ...
organ. Its associated yang organ is the
Gallbladder
In vertebrates, the gallbladder, also known as the cholecyst, is a small hollow organ where bile is stored and concentrated before it is released into the small intestine. In humans, the pear-shaped gallbladder lies beneath the liver, although ...
. Both Liver and Gallbladder are attributed to the
Wood element.
Regarding its stipulated functions, the Liver
*governs "unclogging and deflation" () primarily of qì and emotions. The free flow of qì in turn will ensure the free flow of blood, digestion, and water.
**the free flow of qì and xuě (blood) is particular significant since TCM stipulates that stagnation of that flow will cause pain.
**by association via its respective element each zàng organ is embracing a certain emotion. The free flow of these five (and other) emotions is thus linked to the unrestrained circulation of the qì of the zàng organs.
*"stores" (, ) blood
*opens into the eyes
*governs the tendons
*reflects in the nails
*governs anger (, )
*houses the ''
hún'' (, "Ethereal Soul")
Its associated body fluid is tears.
The Liver function is regarded to be strongest between 1–3 am. Its blood is responsible for the repetitive cycles of human life, for example menstruation. The
Huang Di Nei Jing
''Huangdi Neijing'' (), literally the ''Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor'' or ''Esoteric Scripture of the Yellow Emperor'', is an ancient Chinese medical text or group of texts that has been treated as a fundamental doctrinal source for Chines ...
describes the Liver as "the general of an army". It secretes bile, which is stored in the
Gallbladder
In vertebrates, the gallbladder, also known as the cholecyst, is a small hollow organ where bile is stored and concentrated before it is released into the small intestine. In humans, the pear-shaped gallbladder lies beneath the liver, although ...
.
A properly functioning Liver organ will ensure that the tendons are properly nourished and not too tense or gristly. The normal direction of Liver qi is downward. When it "rebels" it can attack the Spleen, causing nausea and poor appetite. Dysfunction of the Liver typically presents as irritability, anger, headaches,
dysmenorrhea, belches, bitter taste in the mouth, distension, pain under the costal arches, pain in the upper abdomen, tremors/numbness/stiffness of the limbs, blurry vision, or jaundice.
[Cultural China 2007] Liver blood stagnation may lead to amenorrhea, blood clotting, or a bearing down sensation with menstruation.
Notes
References
* (2006-07-18)
"" ', retrieved 2010-12-16
*Cultural China (2007)
''Kaleidoscope → Health'', retrieved 2010-12-21
*Agnes Fatrai, Stefan Uhrig (eds.): ''Chinese Ophthalmology – Acupuncture, Herbal Therapy, Dietary Therapy, Tuina and Qigong.'' Tipani-Verlag, Wiesbaden 2015, .
{{DEFAULTSORT:Liver (Chinese Medicine)
Traditional Chinese medicine