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The importance of liver in traditional Chinese medicine.
Here we are at our second meeting with our Unika Blog Naturopathy section. I am Sara Maiani, specialized in Natural Medicine, Clinical Phytotherapy and Naturopathy. I am really excited about this project because I strongly believe that sharing naturopathic knowledge will result in a significant revolution in the world of animal welfare. Those who approached this philosophy and this ancient knowledge, will begin a path that will lead them to discover most definitely new worlds, very far from conventional roads.
I am sure that the discovery and research, together with science and conscience, can lead to an enrichment of the relationship between us and our animals, as we will be able to understand them, even under new points of view.
Today’s topic leads us to talk about the Liver, quite a neglected organ in Western medicine, but of such great importance in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Often, we come to “notice” the existence of the liver of our horse when the veterinarian tells us about values CK and LDH that are high, following intense activity, horse’s manifest muscle stiffness and we are advised to use vitamin E. Is it possible that a gland, weighing 5 to 9 kg in a horse, has not earned a little more attention up to now? In their aid I will let “MTC” speak which on the contrary devotes a lot of attention to this organ, giving it many responsibilities: functional, energetic and even emotional.
The Liver, as described above, has a special connotation for “TCM” that sees it involved in physiological, energetic and emotional functions. For “TCM” the Liver is involved in all bodily and emotional functions. Let’s see them together.
The Liver, also called in TCM “The Army general“, is first of all the one who guarantees to the whole organism the correct flow of Qi, the vital energy. This ensures, like a true General, that, to all body locations as well as all organs, can arrive that vital energy able to counter every enemy, thus creating a healthy and robust organism.
In the regulation of blood flow, the Liver plays a pivotal role. In TCM it is said that the Liver “moves” the blood. It is in fact able to regulate the circulating blood volume allowing with the extra ability to also store surplus blood. For this reason, it is also linked to the oestrous cycle, its duration and the characteristics of the cycle itself. From this important function we understand that the Liver allows all organs and tissues to be properly fed and sprayed and also allows, in maintaining the well-being of these tissues, a general protection of the organism from external pathogens. Here another fundamental function of the Liver begins to emerge: the support of defensive energy. A healthy liver is therefore able to support a healthy organism in the best fight against external enemies.
The Liver, being “Wood” and part of one of five elements of “Wuxing”, is linked to the momentum of life, to the setting in motion of energy. It is linked to the energy of Nature in the phase of Spring, an explosive energy of birth and awakening. For the TCM, the Liver is the seat of the psychism of the living being, called “Hun”, that idea that leads to the realization of a creative act. The Liver is in fact linked to the ability of the subject to open up in their environment, to express themselves, to be extroverted and to manifest their initiatives.
A horse left free to express himself, extroverted, able to know how to communicate their intentions and see them then understood and followed, I will be a horse with an energetic Liver in good balance.
We have seen together that the Liver “moves” the blood in the organism and is also responsible for the expression of the creativity of the animal; but these are not the only functions attributed to the Liver.
The Liver in fact according to the MTC is also responsible for other functions:
What happens if the liver is out of balance?
According to TCM, an unbalanced liver in an organism can cause damage in many aspects. Let’s see the main problems together:
We said, however, from the beginning of this article, that the Liver has a very important role also from the point of view in the regulation of emotions. What will happen to a horse with an unbalanced liver? Here are some examples:
When to take care of the Liver of our horse?
We have seen in this article how important is the role of the Liver in the body of our horses. When then is it more appropriate to take care of the Liver? One principle, which also respects the energy of the organ, is to take care of it in Spring, more precisely at the beginning of this season, as it is related to the liver. This general indication can be followed for preventive purposes on all horses, except in particular clinical cases.
The specific cases in which it is necessary to take greater care of the liver of your horse, together with the appropriate therapies, could be, to name a few:
The presented points can be an example for you to understand when could be the correct moment in evaluating a treatment for your horse’s liver. TCM obviously has to be backed by the assistance of a good veterinarian regarding pathological states and a good ethologist – behaviorist to deal with emotional and behavioral states of the horse. TCM can be a wonderful resource for understanding a horse, its organic functioning and the complexity of its psyche.
At Unika, we integrate the knowledge of TCM and clinical phytotherapy with our products and support our customers in choosing the best product for their animals, both physically and mentally.
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Here we are at our second meeting with our Unika Blog Naturopathy section. I am Sara Maiani, specialized in Natural Medicine, Clinical Phytotherapy and Naturopathy.
Born in 1995, Mirko began to practice the discipline of “combined driving” at only 6 years old, spurred by his family’s passion for the equestrian world, he began to approach national and international competitions at 17 years old
Dear readers we are pleased to celebrate the new year, on our blog, with a wonderful interview together with Nicolò Tallone, Unika Ambassador and Endurance rider, Piedmontese DOC, class of 1991 who in life has chosen to dedicate himself to a trade as ancient as fascinating, that of the blacksmith.
