Chinese Medicine 1:

Awais Mian
Heart
Learning outcomes

 To become familiar with the physiology and functions of

the Heart in TCM
Heart ( 心 Xīn)

 The heart can be

considered as most
important organ
 It is often called the
monarch or emperor
 What does this mean to
you?
Heart ( 心 Xīn)

 The heart (Yin-Zang) is

interiorly and exteriorly
coupled with the Small
Intestine (Yang- Fu)

 Describe the pathway of

the heart primary
channel
Heart ( 心 Xīn) and Small Intestine
channels
Heart ( 心 Xīn) 6 divisions
 Heart is related to Shao Yin in the six divisions theory.

 Six division theory relates channels via anatomical

locations on the body.

 The Kidney channel is the corresponding leg Shao Yin

channel

 Six divisions is important in understanding the

progression of pathogenic factors or illnesses through
the body.
Heart ( 心 Xīn)
 1. Governs the Blood
 2. Dominates the blood
vessels
 3. Manifests in the
complexion
 4. Opens into the tongue
 5. Houses the Shen-Heart
of mental/emotional activity

 Related to joy
 Sweat is the fluid of the
heart
Governs blood

 Promotes blood to circulate inside vessels- circulation

 Participates in producing blood

 The transformation of food- Qi into blood takes place in

the Heart.

 kidney —stores essence →blood

 spleen —transports and transforms food essence → blood
 Heart “stamps red”→blood
Controls blood vessel (Mài)
Syndrome Pulse

 influences the state of Heart qi feeble and

blood vessel deficiency irregular pulse
 The “Simple Questions” Heart blood thin and weak
chapter 44 says “the deficiency pulse
heart governs the blood
vessels” Heart blood rough/choppy/
 Blood vessels depends stasis hesitant pulse
on heart Qi and blood Heart yin rapid and
(Xue) deficiency weak pulse

Heart yang slow and weak

deficiency pulse
Houses Shen- Mind/Spirit （神 shén)

 Yellow emperor’s classic of internal medicine

 The heart is the Monarch of the five yin organs and the
six Yang organs and it is the residence of shen.

“ 心者，君主之官，神明出焉”
Houses Shen- Mind/Spirit （神 shén)
Shen Organ

Shen-Mind Heart

 Li Shizhen Hun- ethereal Liver

soul
 Brain is the house of
The Corporeal lungs
original shen.
soul- Po
“ 脑为元神之府”
The Will Kidneys
 Shen has 5 components- power- Zhi
see opposite Thought- Yi Spleen
Houses Shen- Mind/Spirit （神 shén)

 Shen:
 Broad meaning: the external manifestation of life
activities of the whole body.

 Narrow meaning: mind, consciousness and thinking.

 This means that the state of the Heart can be affect by

mental activity and the emotional state.
 Therefore the mental activity and the emotional state
can also affect the Heart.
Houses Shen- Mind/Spirit （神 shén)

 Mental activity, emotions, consciousness, memory,

thinking and sleep acan all be affect by the Heart
function.
 If the Hearts Qi and blood are strong the emotions,
thinking and memory, sleep will be balanced.
 The Hearts ability to house the mind depends on
adequate nourishment form the blood and conversely
the hearts job of governing the mind depends on the
blood.
 The state of the Mind can be observed through the eyes.
Houses Shen- Mind/Spirit （神 shén)

 The heart blood roots/anchors the mind. If there is a

problem with the heart blood, it could result in the mind
wandering, depression, restlessness, insomnia.
 Chronic depression, insomnia will injure the heart and
may lead to palpitations, pale complexion, weak or
irregular pulse.
 The heart determines the capacity for to form
meaningful relationships, influences our ability to relate
to others.
3 treasures- San Bao
Upper Mind Heart Heave
n

Middle Qi Stoma Mankin

 Jing- essence, Qi- Energy ch- d-
, Shen- Mind. Splee human
 The mind and body n ity
should not be separated lower Essen Kidne Earth
in TCM ce ys
 Manifests in the face complexion
Syndrome Complexion

Heart-qi/Heart-blood deficiency pale face

Heart-qi/Heart-blood stagnant purple or dark face

Heart-yin deficiency reddish face (around the

cheekbone)
Opens into tongue

 The tongue is like an

offshoot of the heart.
 The Heart controls the
colour, form, and
appearance of the
tongue. It is particularly
related to the tip of the
tongue.
Opens into tongue

 Heart-heat —dry and red tongue. (tip redder and

swollen)
 Severe heat ulcers
 Heart-qi/blood deficiency —pale and thin tongue

 Hearts controls the sense of taste from the tongue.

Opens into tongue

 The Heart also influences the tongue in talking and

speech, stuttering and aphasia (difficulty in speaking)
are considered to be the heart problem in CM.

 delirious speech/wild talk —Phlegm blocks the heart

 Think about Stroke victims?

 Often a disharmony of the Heart can cause a person to

laugh inappropriately or talk incessantly.
 Think about when you get nervous?
Pulse Diagnosis
Related to joy

 In which condition, “Joy” can be considered as a cause

of disease?

 xīn xǐ ruò kuáng - 欣喜若狂 - be wild with joy

 Depression- Lack of Joy?

Controls sweat

 Jīn Xuè Tóng Yuán- 津血同源

 Heart-qi/Heart yang deficiency —spontaneous sweating
 Heart-yin deficiency — night sweating

 Blood and body fluids are mutually interchangeable.

Sweat is one of the body fluids, which comes from the
space between the skin and muscles.
 When the blood is too thick, body fluids enter the blood
vessels and thin it down.
Discuss in groups
 Which function of the Heart is impaired in the following
situations?
 When a person has cold hands? -Heart cant circulate the
blood
 When a person cannot sleep?
 When a person sweats profusely?
 When a person has chest pain?
 Working in pairs see if you can remember the functions of the
heart?

 Task to do at home: go to Anatomy Tv, via the library or

LSBU homepage. Click on acupuncture, and walk the path of
the lung channel, use Anatomy TV to look at the anatomy of
theHeart. put the following link into your Url- log in to your
LSBU account- under sports & therapy click on Acupuncture,
then contents, meridians , then the Heart channel. Use the
functions to explore the software, organ and channel.
 http://0-www.anatomy.tv.lispac.lsbu.ac.uk/new_home.aspx?
lpuserid=&&App=#