Understanding your heart health, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine
The health of your heart is critical to your overall health and wellbeing. If it stops beating, even for a few moments, you’d cease to live. No other organ in your body has to work so consistently.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the heart is referred to as “the emperor of the human body.” In the hierarchy of the organs, the heart is at the top — controlling and influencing the function of all the other organs. If the heart is unhealthy, at least one other connected organ will be unhealthy, too. Likewise, if you take care of your heart and keep it healthy, the rest of your body will generally be healthy as well.
Five principles of the heart in TCM
Traditional Chinese Medicine views the heart, and other organs, as part of an interconnected system, rather than as individual actors. Understanding the TCM principles of the heart can give you a window into your heart health.
- The heart is the seat of the spirit (called shen in TCM).
- The heart governs the blood and blood vessels.
- The essence of the heart is accessible through its connected orifice, the tongue. When the heart is healthy, the tongue is healthy and red, without cracks or a white coating.
- The heart governs sweating. Sweat is a fluid of the heart system, and people who sweat abnormally may have heart deficiency.
- The health of the heart manifests in the complexion. The radiance and complexion of the face can be used to determine the health status of the heart and blood.
Keeping your heart healthy with TCM
TCM offers many ways to keep your heart healthy. These include:
- Acupuncture
In scientific studies1, acupuncture has been proven to lower blood pressure, decrease heart rate, and decrease stress by reducing the effects of the sympathetic nervous system (the “fight or flight” response). Needles are placed at specific sites along the wrist, inside the forearm or in the leg. - Staying active with Yoga and Tai Chi
In both TCM and conventional medicine, inactivity is a significant risk for heart problems. The gentle movements available in Tai Chi and yoga are adaptable to any level of physical ability. - Eating red foods
In TCM, red foods nourish the heart by making up for a loss of yang, or fire energy, in the body. Red foods include strawberries, tomatoes,apples, red beans, beef, etc. - Herbal remedies for sleep
In TCM, sleep disturbances are caused by an imbalance in yin and yang energies, and they’re a risk factor for heart problems. We can help address sleep imbalances with customized herbal blends.
How healthy is my heart?
If you want to understand more about your heart health, you have options. At the Acupuncture and Optimum Health Clinic, in addition to acupuncture, we offer an invaluable way to monitor your health using the Heart Sound Recorder. By observing and recording the rate, rhythm and tone of your heart using a computer-based, low-risk sensor, we can identify certain types of heart stress. The heart’s reaction to certain stressors (i.e. chemical, nutritional and emotional) can be observed. The heart sound recorder can be an important tool in evaluating your heart health and your overall health.
The Heart Sound Recorder is a simple, highly effective and non-invasive device. The sensor is placed over the four valve areas of the heart. Once the test is complete, we can see the nutritional efficiency of the heart and the systemic circulatory system. We can save each test and compare to track your progress.
If you have questions about your heart health, acupuncture, or the heart sound recorder, don’t hesitate to contact us!
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