The Small Intestine is part of the gastrointestinal tract. It is comprised of three separate parts, the duodenum, the jejunum and the ileum. The Small Intestine measures upwards of six to seven meters long and comprises a surface area of over 200 meters. It is estimated that 90 percent of the digestion and absorption of food occurs in the Small Intestine and its main function is the absorption of minerals and nutrients from the food we ingest.

Chinese Medicine pairs energetic meridians so that they form a complete circuit. There is always a yang meridian and a yin meridian. The Small Intestine meridian is paired with the Heart meridian.

The Small Intestine is the controller of the reception, transformation and separation of solids and fluids. It receives food and fluids from the stomach and then transforms them by separating the pure from the impure. The pure essence is dispersed throughout the body and the impurities are flushed into the large intestine for eventual removal from the body.

The Small Intestine plays both a physical and a mental role. The mental role of the Small Intestine is to separate the clear thoughts from the turbid ones. This is another way the Small Intestine is connected to the Heart in TCM. The heart houses the mind and is in charge of all of our mental health. Clear judgement depends on the ability of the Small Intestine to separate the pure from the impure. When there is dysfunction in the Small Intestine , then there may also be dysfunction in the mind. The Small Inestine’s role is to provide clear information to the Emperor (the Heart) to aid in decision making.

Imbalances in the Small Intestine meridian can lead to problems such as abdominal pain, digestion issues and also appetite problems like overeating or poor appetite. The Small Intestine meridian starts at the outer tip of the pinky finger and runs up the arm, over the scapula of the shoulder, up the neck and ends in front of the ear. The meridian pathway allows for it to be useful in treating not just intestinal and abdominal issues, but also things like earaches, TMJ, shoulder pain and neck pain.

Since the Small Intestine is paired with the Heart, it should be noted both meridians belong to the movement of fire. The heart meridian expresses movement upwards, while the Small Intestine meridian expresses movement downwards. And when considering this pairing logically, it makes sense. When we are experiencing heartache or stress (associated with the heart meridian), most of us then have an upset gastrointestinal tract, pain in the abdomen, vomiting, nausea or even a lack of appetite.

The Small Intestine meridian is particularly sensitive to cold. Therefore eating lots of cold, raw foods can actually lead to problems in the Small Intestine . When excess cold invades the Small Intestine , there may be pain around the navel which may radiate around to the back, watery diarrhea or loose stools, frequent clear urination and loud gurgling sounds in the abdomen.

While the Small Intestine may not seem as important as the Heart or the Kidneys, it is still an integral part of our body and as such, it should be taken care of equally as well by supporting the gut flora by eating fermented foods, taking probiotics and having live yoghurt or kefir as part of your diet. if you find that emotional issues upset your digestion, then acupuncture may help you with your symptoms.