The concept of the Zangxiang attribution of spleen in traditional Chinese medicine: implications for clinical practice and research

Abstract

Both traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and modern medicine have the concept of spleen. The description of the spleen of the same name in the two disciplines is roughly identical in shape and position, but it is different in functional connotation. The immune, hematopoietic and blood regulation functions of the anatomical spleen in modern medicine cannot match the functions of the spleen in TCM, such as transportation, transformation, commanding bleeding, and dominating muscle and limbs. The spleen is a different organ in TCM and modern medicine. From the function perspective, this paper establishes the relationship between the spleen and the five zang-organs (It refers to the internal organs of the human body.) of TCM. The author believes that the immune and hematopoietic functions of the spleen in modern medicine should belong to the kidney of TCM, and the function of regulating the blood volume of the spleen in modern medicine should belong to the heart of TCM. By establishing the relationship between TCM and modern medicine of the spleen, we hope to provide a new method of TCM treatment for the clinical treatment of spleen-related diseases and provide new ideas for the modernization of the theory of Zangxiang (The physiological function and pathological changes of zang-fu organs are manifested in external signs.) of TCM.