How to Use the Five Elements in Chinese Medicine
The ancient Eastern theory of the Five Elements--wood, air, earth, fire and water--is particularly important to traditional Chinese medicine's use of herbal and dietary treatments for chronic conditions, pain and illnesses. Each of the Five Elements has a special property associated with it that can be found in the corresponding fruits, grains and plants that Chinese medical treatments traditionally use to heal everything from asthma to arthritis. Follow these steps to use the Five Elements in Chinese medicine.
Things You'll Need:
Computer with Internet access
Learn How Chinese Medicine Uses the Five Elements
1
Learn how the Five Elements interact with one another. Each element generates one element and overcomes another. For example, wood is said to "generate" fire and "overcome" earth.
2
Understand how the Five Elements relate to the five taste properties of herbs used in Chinese medicine. Wood is sour; fire is bitter; earth is sweet; metal is spicy; and water is salty.
3
Learn the fruit associated with each element. Wood's fruit is the plum; fire's the apricot; earth's the jujube; metal's the peach; and water's the chestnut. You'll be able to follow your practitioner's advice better. For example, if she or he determines that you aren't receiving enough metal influence in your diet, you need to eat more peaches.
4
Be aware that each element has a corresponding grain, in addition to a fruit. Wood is associated with cannabis, fire with wheat, earth with rice, metal with millet and water with beans.
5
Learn the body parts associated with each element. Eyes are associated with wood, the tongue with fire, the mouth with earth, the nose with metal and the ears with water.
6
Find complete details, including each element's color, emotion, energy pattern and more, by visiting Holistic Online's Five Elements page (see Resources below).
7
Know that each of the Five Elements has a corresponding Yin organ and Yang organ. For example, fire's Yin organ is the heart and its Yang organ is the small intestine.
Treat Symptoms Using the Five Elements
1
Consult a Chinese medicine practitioner. The cost of treatment is moderate. A qualified practitioner will readily be able to determine if the principles of the Five Elements that can be used to treat your condition or symptoms.
2
Alter your diet to correct deficiencies of certain elements. Chinese medicine practitioners believe that eating more wheat and apricots, for example, will introduce a greater degree of fire to your body.
3
Understand how acupuncturists use acupuncture points to facilitate readier absorption of deficient or unbalanced elements. Acupuncturists believe each element corresponds with varying parts of the human body, and manipulating these can inhibit or hasten your body's ability to retain elemental properties.
4
Apply the taste properties of herbs to their corresponding element to understand why bitter herbs, for example, increase your body's supply of elemental fire.
5
Realize that Chinese medicine always aims to achieve balance and harmony within the body. Treatments looking to heighten or decrease the prominence of a particular element are prescribed with this goal in mind.
Tips & Warnings
Persistent gastrointestinal discomfort, indigestion and upset stomach can be symptoms of serious illnesses. Check with your physician if you experience severe or lasting pain of this nature.
Never self-treat or self-diagnose medical conditions. It's unhealthy and potentially dangerous to use treatments that have not been fully explained by a qualified individual.
Before you start any alternative medical technique, be aware that many have not been scientifically evaluated. Often, only limited information is available about their safety and effectiveness. Each state and each discipline has its own rules about how alternative medicine practitioners can be professionally licensed. If you decide to visit one, choose one licensed by a recognized national organization. Consult your primary health care provider about your decision first. Keep your doctor informed about the alternative medical technique you undertake.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2031547_use-five-elements.html
The ancient Eastern theory of the Five Elements--wood, air, earth, fire and water--is particularly important to traditional Chinese medicine's use of herbal and dietary treatments for chronic conditions, pain and illnesses. Each of the Five Elements has a special property associated with it that can be found in the corresponding fruits, grains and plants that Chinese medical treatments traditionally use to heal everything from asthma to arthritis. Follow these steps to use the Five Elements in Chinese medicine.
Things You'll Need:
Computer with Internet access
Learn How Chinese Medicine Uses the Five Elements
1
Learn how the Five Elements interact with one another. Each element generates one element and overcomes another. For example, wood is said to "generate" fire and "overcome" earth.
2
Understand how the Five Elements relate to the five taste properties of herbs used in Chinese medicine. Wood is sour; fire is bitter; earth is sweet; metal is spicy; and water is salty.
3
Learn the fruit associated with each element. Wood's fruit is the plum; fire's the apricot; earth's the jujube; metal's the peach; and water's the chestnut. You'll be able to follow your practitioner's advice better. For example, if she or he determines that you aren't receiving enough metal influence in your diet, you need to eat more peaches.
4
Be aware that each element has a corresponding grain, in addition to a fruit. Wood is associated with cannabis, fire with wheat, earth with rice, metal with millet and water with beans.
5
Learn the body parts associated with each element. Eyes are associated with wood, the tongue with fire, the mouth with earth, the nose with metal and the ears with water.
6
Find complete details, including each element's color, emotion, energy pattern and more, by visiting Holistic Online's Five Elements page (see Resources below).
7
Know that each of the Five Elements has a corresponding Yin organ and Yang organ. For example, fire's Yin organ is the heart and its Yang organ is the small intestine.
Treat Symptoms Using the Five Elements
1
Consult a Chinese medicine practitioner. The cost of treatment is moderate. A qualified practitioner will readily be able to determine if the principles of the Five Elements that can be used to treat your condition or symptoms.
2
Alter your diet to correct deficiencies of certain elements. Chinese medicine practitioners believe that eating more wheat and apricots, for example, will introduce a greater degree of fire to your body.
3
Understand how acupuncturists use acupuncture points to facilitate readier absorption of deficient or unbalanced elements. Acupuncturists believe each element corresponds with varying parts of the human body, and manipulating these can inhibit or hasten your body's ability to retain elemental properties.
4
Apply the taste properties of herbs to their corresponding element to understand why bitter herbs, for example, increase your body's supply of elemental fire.
5
Realize that Chinese medicine always aims to achieve balance and harmony within the body. Treatments looking to heighten or decrease the prominence of a particular element are prescribed with this goal in mind.
Tips & Warnings
Persistent gastrointestinal discomfort, indigestion and upset stomach can be symptoms of serious illnesses. Check with your physician if you experience severe or lasting pain of this nature.
Never self-treat or self-diagnose medical conditions. It's unhealthy and potentially dangerous to use treatments that have not been fully explained by a qualified individual.
Before you start any alternative medical technique, be aware that many have not been scientifically evaluated. Often, only limited information is available about their safety and effectiveness. Each state and each discipline has its own rules about how alternative medicine practitioners can be professionally licensed. If you decide to visit one, choose one licensed by a recognized national organization. Consult your primary health care provider about your decision first. Keep your doctor informed about the alternative medical technique you undertake.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2031547_use-five-elements.html
