The Liver

The liver plays a crucial role in the human body, storing and regulating blood throughout the body and controlling the flexing and extending of joints and muscles. The liver loves to disperse and grow and hates to be inhibited and oppressed. Therefore, when the liver is inhibited by the emotion of anger, it can become harmed, leading to emotional problems and disturbances. The liver has its outlets in the eyes and forms a yin-yang relationship with the gallbladder. The liver meridian travels around the yin organs, passes through the lower abdomen, spreads around the ribs, and meets at the vertex. Therefore, when disease occurs in the regions through which the liver meridian passes, the liver should be treated accordingly.

Chinese medicine has a well-known saying that "The liver is in charge of storing the blood, and when a person lies down, the blood will return to the liver for storage. When the person becomes active again, the blood in the liver will flow to all parts of the body once again to meet the needs of various parts of the body." The liver controls the activities of the tendons, including the extension and flexing of joints and nourishment of the tendons. When blood deficiency of the liver occurs, the tendons will suffer from malnutrition, leading to difficulty in extending and flexing joints, numbness, spasms, and other symptoms. In addition, the nails will also change color and appear withered because the nails are an extension of the tendons.

The eyes and the liver are closely related, and when blood deficiency of the liver occurs, the eyes will suffer from malnutrition, leading to dry eyes, blurred vision, or night blindness. When liver-fire burning upward occurs, there will be the symptom of pink eyes. Many eye diseases are related to the liver and should be treated by referencing the liver. The liver and gallbladder have a yin-yang relationship with each other, and they are related to each other like brother and sister, with the liver being a viscus and the gallbladder being a bowel.