The Five Elements And Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine uses the theory of five elements (Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood), to interpret the connection between the physiology and pathology of the human body. These five elements are in constant movement and change. The five elements explain the connection between material things, the human body and the natural world.

The Chinese believe that the human body has organs and tissues that have properties similar to the five elements.

The five elements have the following processes, functions and characteristics:

Fire - heat, flaring, ascendance, draught and movement

Wood - flexibility, germination, harmony, softness and extension

Metal - firmness, cutting, strength, cleaning up and killing

Earth - changing, nourishing, producing, and growing

Water - flowing, descending, cold and moisture

According to the five elements phenomena such as flavors, Zang, Fu, Senses, Tissue, Directions, Changes and Color are explained as follows:

Wood is sour, the Zang is the liver, the Fu is the gall bladder, the Senses revolve around the eyes, the tissue is the tendon, the directions are east, changes are found in germination and the color is green.

Fire is bitter, the Zang is the heart, the Fu is the small intestine, the Senses revolve around the tongue, the tissue is vessels, the direction is south, the changes are growth and the color is red.

Earth is sweet, the Zang is the spleen, the Fu is the stomach, the senses revolves around the mouth, the tissue is muscle, the direction is center, the changes transform and the color is yellow.

Metal is pungent, the Zang is the lungs, the Fu is the large intestine, the senses revolve around the nose, the tissue is hair and skin, the direction is west, the changes reap and the color is white.

Water is salty, the Zang is the kidneys, the Fu is urinary, the senses revolve around the ears, the tissue is bone, the direction is north, the changes are store and the color is black.

There is a close relationship between each of the five elements that includes mutual promoting and restraining under both physical condition and pathological conditions.

Basically, wood promotes fire and fire promotes earth and in turn earth promotes metal and metal promotes water with water promoting the generation of wood. There is a cycle of endless promotion and restraining of functions between the five elements. Without mutual promotion there would be no new growth. Without mutual restraining, there would be no change and development of normal harmony between relationships. Movement and change exists according to the Chinese through this mutual promoting and restraining. When the normal pattern of promoting or restraining is broken a violation occurs within the five elements creating disharmony and illness within the body.