What do yin and yang and the five element theory have in common? They
are both intricrit parts of the Traditional Chinese medicine that
millions rely on in China and several hundreds of thousands of
individuals all over the USA and other parts of the world have come to
understand and utilize for the well-being of their bodies.

The Five Elements:

The five element theory relates all energy and substance to one of the
five elements: water, fire, wood, metal (air) and earth. Each one of
the mentioned elements corresponds to one of the five organ networks
within the body, as well as the five seasons, five climates, five
personality types and other associations. All of these associations
are a part of the repeating cycles of birth, growth, maturation,
harvest and decay.

Water is associated with the color black, the organs kidneys and
bladder, the tissue bones, the sense organs are the ears and the taste
is salty.

Wood is associated with the color blue/green and the organs liver and
gall bladder, the tissue is nerves and the sense organ - eyes and the
taste is sour.

Fire is associated with the color red, the heart, small intestine,
blood vessels, the tongue and the taste is bitter.

The earth is the color yellow, the associated organs are the spleen
and the stomach, the tissue is muscles and the sense organ is the
mouth with the taste being sweet.

Metal (air) is associated with the color white and the organs lungs
and large intestine with the tissue skin and the senses the nose and
sinuses and the taste is spicy.

The five element theory is seen in acupuncture in how adjustment and
realignment is established by the flow of Qi throughout the body.

The body assists itself to become readjusted to the healing process.
Pain and related symptoms are reduced or even eliminated altogether
through the efforts of acupuncture. The immune system becomes
strengthens and each of the body’s organ systems become revitalized.

The Yin and Yang:

Yin and Yang are two opposites in life examples are light and dark,
front and back, up and down, in and out, hot and cold, birth and
death. One cannot exist without the other. If one of the opposite
pairs becomes stronger than the other there is not harmony and the
other becomes weaker. One can replace the other, but they both cannot
exist at the same time. One transforms into the other. Night
transforms into the new day; and day eventually gives way to night.

The physical world has many examples of yin and yang. In nature we
have feminine and masculine qualities. Rest is equally as important as
activity and soft just as important as hard. There is need for both
shade and brightness. We must have the sun and the moon, the earth and
heaven.

There is always a balance between yin and yang. Nothing is ever all
yin or all yang. The human body has the same occurrence of opposites
(inside and outside, soft and hard, wet and dry). The human body has
organs that are also yin and yang. The liver is mostly yang while the
kidneys are mostly yin. There is a balance within the body that
maintains the health of the body. In traditional Chinese medicine, it
is believed that illness is a result of an imbalance between the yin
and the yang of the body.

Treatment of disease is the result of restoring the depleted yin or
yang and restoring balance. This restoration is brought about by way
of different approaches including acupuncture, herbal therapies
exercise and also diet changes.

The Chinese believe in a unique system of diagnosing and treating
illness. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is based on their belief
concerning Daoism. How illnesses are treated is basically centered on
the diagnosis and the differentiation of syndromes.

TCM classifies zangfu organs as the core of the human body with
tissues and organs being connected by a network of channels and blood
vessels that are inside the human body. There is believed to be a
connection between the diseases of the body surface tissues and the
related zang or fu organs. The zang or fu organs can also influence
each other through internal connections. TCM arrives at a diagnosis by
examining the entire network of body systems, and then focusing on the
correction of the pathological changes by readjusting the functions of
the zangfu organs.

Western medicine concentrates on the cause, mechanical factors,
location and nature of the disease; Traditional Chinese Medicine also
includes the pathogenic factors and the bodily resistance. TCM treats
illnesses based not only on the symptoms presented but by the
differentiation of syndromes. Two individuals presenting with
identical diseases may therefore be given different treatments as a
result. Individuals with very different diseases but with the same
syndrome are treated in similar fashion.

Clinical diagnosis and treatment in TCM are based on yin-yang and on
the five elements theories. These theories take the same principals of
nature and apply them to the physiological and pathological changes
within the human body. Acupuncture, herbal medicine and qigong
exercises are the basic therapies of TCM.

TCM is a holistic system of healing based on the principals of
internal balance and harmony.

Keeping the body’s internal systems and organs in balance and harmony
regenerates the following:

The circulatory system, endocrine system, neurological system,
excretory system, respiratory organs and also the urinary organs.

The complete medical system of TCM includes the causes of disharmony,
meridians, five elements, vital substances, Yin and Yang, Zangfu and
the diagnosis.

There are six external causes of disharmony: wind, cold, heat,
moisture, dryness, and summer heat.

There are seven internal causes of disharmony: sadness, grief,
pensiveness, fear, fright or shock, anger and joy.

The meridian system is a transportation system of channels and
meridians. There are twelve main meridians within the human body, six
are yin and six are yang. Each of these meridians relates to one of
the Zangfu organs.

The five elements (Wu Xing) are the processes fundamental to the
cycles of both nature and the human body. The Chinese believe that the
five elements have processes that include:

Wood feeds upon fire

Fire creates ashes, which then form the earth

Deep inside earth, metal which becomes heated then liquefies and
produces water vapor

Water then generates and nourishes the trees (wood).

TCM sees the human body as a “mini eco-system” that shares the same
qualities that nature does. The basic substances of the human body are
Qi, Body Fluids, Blood and Essence.

The two forces of yin and yang represent the bipolar manifestation in
nature. Since there exists “above” there must therefore be a
“below”, if there is a  “front” there must also be a “back”, the
existence of night, means there is day. Emotionally there could not be
great joy with out the existence of great pain or sorrow. Yin and yang
is not always exact even when the body is in a healthy state. There is
always change going on within the body, just as there is always change
going on in nature.

Zangfu is a term describing the different yin and yang organs.

The process of arriving at a diagnosis involves four areas:
observation, listening and smelling, questioning and palpation
(touching).

Many of today’s medicines find their roots in 2000 years of Chinese
history. Modern day asthma treatments make use of the Chinese ephedra
and hepatitis remedies use the schizandra fruits and licorice roots
found in Chinese medicine.

In China herbal therapies are applied in two fashions: They are either
made into a strong tea by simmering herbs for an hour or more called a
decoction or to put the herbs into a honey-bound pill. The teas are
considered to be too time-consuming for most Western doctors and are
often awful tasting as well. The honey pills are sticky, bad tasting
and difficult to chew. Thus steps in modern techniques and improved
methods of application. The two most popular applications are extract
powders and easy-to-swallow tablets or capsules. The quantity that
must be consumed is considerable but necessary to get the same effect
as the traditional Chinese applications.

There are more than 6,000 species of herbs used in medicines with
about 1,000 materials being derived from animal sources and more than
100 different minerals all of which are categorized under “herbs”.
Herbs are cultivated from the wilds of China, India or the Mid-East
and are processed either by cleaning, drying soaking or slicing. They
are then established into a specific formulation for an individual
patient. They are not made in batches as medicines are in Western
medicine. Chinese medicine is designed for a specific individual. In
addition to the herbal therapy the patient is often advised to change
diet, lower the level of stress they are under, or increase their
amount of exercise they are getting.

Chinese practitioners are taught through large schools, research
institutes and teaching hospitals in every province in China.

In the U.S. Chinese herbs are not labeled as drugs but as food
supplements. As supplements they are not as strictly regulated, as
they would be if they were classified as drugs and regulated by the
FDA. The FDA does monitor herbal supplements regarding how clean the
manufacturing facilities are though. There is also testing done to
ensure that there are no bacteria or chemical contaminants contained
in the supplements.

Imported Chinese herb products should only be taken when the
individual is advised by a trained health professional as there may be
adverse responses to certain Chinese herbs such as allergic responses
or gastro-intestinal upsets (constipation, diarrhea, nausea and
bloating). Other responses that have been noted have been dizziness,
headache, sleepiness, lowered appetite, and agitation. There are very
limited studies being done in America regarding herbal therapies.
American practitioners have to rely on the clinical trials that have
been done in China for information needed when making decisions
regarding treatment.

Astragalus used for immune responses, atractylodes used to treat
digestive disorders, bupleurum used to treat liver diseases, skin
ailments and arthritis and cinnamon used to improve circulation and to
harmonize the energy of the upper body with that of the lower body as
well as to correct imbalances are all commonly used Chinese herbs

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is one of the oldest systems of
medicine in the world. Records exist as far back as 2000 years before
the birth of Christ that detail instances of Chinese medicine.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is quite complex and based on the
Daoist belief that everything in the universe is interconnected with
everything else including our bodies. The mind and body are not
separate but one. Our organs and the systems they are apart of are not
separate but work together to form a healthy body.

There are certain principals of Chinese medicine that are not found
anywhere in Western medicine such as the concept of qi (the flow of
energy). Qi flows through the body through channels called meridians.
When there are imbalances in Qi, the body becomes ill. Wellness is
restored when the balance is restored. The balance is restored using
techniques such as acupuncture, acupressure, qigong and herbal
therapies. Such Chinese concepts are concerned not only with restoring
qi but the balance of yin and yang and the five element theories are
also important in Chinese medicine.

Each concept and therapy is but a part of the whole and none are more
important than the others. Other techniques that are a part of Chinese
medicine include moxibustion, manipulative and massage techniques such
as gua sha and tuina, and also diet and lifestyle changes.

Oriental medicine is not traditional Chinese medicine the two are very
different. Traditional Chinese medicine is the standardized practice
of Chinese medicine since before the Chinese Revolution; Oriental
medicine is used to describe different styles of acupuncture, herbal
medicine, exercise and massage that have been developed and practiced
in Asia and worldwide.

Traditional Chinese medicine is starting to be more understood in
America, especially acupuncture and herbal therapy. One reason
Americans are turning to TCM is the lack of side effects, and the
effectiveness of the techniques used in traditional Chinese medicine,
especially acupuncture. Acupuncture has especially become known when
dealing with back pain, foot pain, and headaches including migraines,
neck pain and nausea.

The role of traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture has evolved
from the back roads of China to the highways of America bringing with
it the healing knowledge of the ancients and the wisdom of the Chinese
professionals whose skill and understanding of the balance of life has
combined with the understanding of the universe and all the peoples
contained within it. There is a balance in nature and in how our
bodies can heal themselves. Mankind is but an instrument for that
healing. Everything is interconnected, the old with the new, Chinese
medicine and those who practice Western medicine who find value in
Chinese techniques such as acupuncture.