Acupuncture The Five Elements

Another fundamental concept in the theory of traditional Chinese medicine is that our body and the universe at large is made up of five main elements in nature. Those elements are wood, fire, earth, metal and water. The elements are connected to each other and each one generates another element or controls another element. Each organ is related to a particular element. Traditional Chinese medicine uses this categorization of organs and elements to describe, diagnose and treat medical conditions.

For example, the kidney is related to water and the heart is related to fire and these two organs have the same relationship as water and fire. Therefore, following this theory, if the kidney is weak there maybe a problem with the heart. So, treatment could be applied by acupuncture or herbs to cool down the heart or increase the chi (energy) in the kidney system.

The five elements of wood, fire, earth, water and metal are related to the following combinations of the vital organs or zang fu:

Wood is related to the liver and gall bladder.

Fire is related to the heart and small intestine.

Earth is related to the spleen and stomach.

Water is related to the kidney and urinary bladder.

Metal is related to the lung and large intestine.

Acupuncture and Zang Fu

The Zang Fu are the internal organs of the body. There are twelve main organs in the Chinese medical system – the lungs, kidney, large intestine, urinary bladder, small intestine, spleen, stomach, liver, gallbladder, pericardium and the ‘triple warmer’ also known as san jiao (the entire torso region). Each organ has a particular kind of chi energy associated with it. Each organ also interacts with particular emotions on a mental level.

With twelve major organs, there are twelve types of chi which move through the main channels or meridians. Chinese medicine aims to heal by connecting symptoms to organs. Symptoms are caused by yin and yang imbalances in the organs or due to an unhealthy flow of chi between organs.

Coming back to the concept of zang fu, this theory also returns us to the concept of yin and yang. ‘Zang’ is related to the yin organs – lungs, heart, spleen, kidneys, liver and the pericardium. The ‘Fu’ on the other hand is related to what are deemed to be the yang organs – gall bladder, both the small and large intestines, stomach, urinary bladder, and the triple warmer or san jiao.
Each zang organ is paired or coupled with a fu organ – except for the pericardium and the triple warmer. These two both describe functions which are not related to any organ.

In this arrangement, all of the organs help to regulate one another. Each fu organ has a corresponding zang organ and while one ‘side’ of this organ balance is responsible for negatively regulating its organ, the other one is responsible for positively regulating. The way in which organs interact with each other is described by the five element theory.

Chi and acupuncture

Chi – as we mentioned before – is a cornerstone of traditional Chinese medical philosophy. Chi is believed to exist in all living things as a critically important life force or spiritual energy. It is generated by our internal organs and we also receive it from food, water, air and sun light. Our body has natural patterns through which chi flows – the meridians. It flows through the body to help nourish and regenerate. Illnesses are often the by-product of blocked or imbalanced chi in the body’s meridians or an imbalance of chi in the body’s key organs. Traditional Chinese medicine relieves these imbalances by adjusting chi circulation in the body. Acupuncture is one of the ways of achieving an ideal flow of chi through the body.

Yin and Yang

In Chinese philosophy, the body and the universe at large are best described by opposing and separate yet complementary principles – that is, yin and yang.
Yin represents the cold, the feminine, the light, the inward and downward direction and the passive. Yang represents the hot, the masculine, the dark, the outward and upward direction and the active.

The two forces are in constant interaction and opposition yet always influencing each other. For example, if one is suffering from symptoms of high blood pressure, Chinese traditional medicine would tell you that the heart has too much yang, and prescribe methods of reducing the yang or increasing the yin of the heart, after consideration of the effects of this on the other symptoms and organs of the body. Therefore, acupuncture therapies seek to increase or decrease yang or increase or decrease yin in particular body regions.

The Basics of Chinese Medicine

The wisdom of traditional Chinese medicine observes the relationship between our mind, body and spirit.

Keeping this in mind, it is a ‘holistic’ approach that promotes healing on multiple levels. So it is fair to say that traditional Chinese medicine focuses on holistic healing.

Holistic health refers to a philosophy of physical care that is of the view that our body, mind and even spiritual experiences are inter-connected. It is the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

In the same way, traditional Chinese medicine sees the body as a universe, one which must be governed by the laws of balance (the yin and the yang). Our emotional and mental well being is just as likely to affect our vulnerability to disease, and external factors such as work, lifestyle choices, environment and even relationships are crucial to the overall picture of one’s health.

Contemporary Western medicine describes health in measurable and quantitative processes of chemical reactions. In contrast, traditional Chinese medicine uses the idea of the yin-yang, the organ system and the five elements to look at the body and health. We have already discussed the concept of the yin and the yang briefly – but it is worth understanding these basic concepts in greater depth to improve our understanding of many other aspects of traditional Chinese medicine

The Practice of Acupuncture

The primitive history of China is divided into two eras. These are the Old Stone Age (more than 10,000 years ago) and the New Stone Age (10,000 – 4,000 years ago) periods.

In the Old Stone Age period, knives made of stone were used for medical procedures. During the New Stone Age, stones were made into sharp needles and served as healing instruments. They were called ‘bian’ stones. Metal needles soon replaced stones, including those made of bronze, silver and even gold.

The development of acupuncture as we know it started between the years 3045-204BC in a medical manual called Nei-Jing - The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine.
The first part of this manual describes anatomy, physiology, various syndromes, the yin and the yang, the five elements, treatments and man’s relationship with nature.
The second part of the manual is all about acupuncture, including descriptions of the meridians (the pathways of vital energy in the body), the functions of the organs, the functions of acupuncture points, types of needles, types of chi and much more.

Between AD 260 and 265, the physician Huang Fu Mi organized much of the ancient Chinese medical texts into one comprehensive manual, which he called The Systematic Classics of Acupuncture and Moxibustion. Over the years, acupuncture texts continued to be revised and updated.

In the 20th century – in 1950 to be precise – Chairman Mao moved for a combination of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine. Acupuncture was now being offered in hospitals across China.


Acupuncture research continued apace during the 1950s and 1960s with further research into ancient texts, acupuncture anesthesia and acupuncture’s effect on internal organs.

To the present day, acupuncture plays a crucial role in the medical system of China. China is at the forefront of researching all important aspects and applications of acupuncture and its effects. Acupuncture has become modernized, yet it is still deeply tied to the ancient philosophy of nature, balance and well-being.

Acupuncture conceptual development

Acupuncture is more than just a remedy. It is both a science and an art, one that has been thousands of years in the making. Acupuncture is an ancient form of healing that pre-dates written history. It is rooted in a Taoist philosophy more than 6000 years old.

Legendary Chinese sage, Fu Hsi, observed nature – particularly the flow of energy within one’s self and beyond. He also saw the connection between the human body and the universe at large. He created the first two symbols – that of a broken line, and an unbroken line. They represented the two major forces in nature – creation and reception.

This was, in fact, the basis of the principle of duality or yin-yang