There are more than a dozen meridians that traverse the body and go to a specific organ. The meridians are named for the organs they enter. Points along the meridians are used to treat disharmony in the meridians and organs. The organs in TCM are similar to, but viewed differently than Western medicine. They include: liver, gallbladder, heart, large and small intestine, spleen, stomach, lung, kidney, bladder, triple warmer, and pericardium.

As an example, TCM views the heart in the following way. The heart governs the blood and controls the blood vessels. This is similar to western concepts of the heart.

In TCM however, the heart also houses the mind. Mental function (consciousness, memory, thinking, and sleep) and emotions are related to the heart. If the heart is strong, a person will think clearly with a good memory, be happy, and have good sleep. If the heart is weak and the blood poorly distributed, this will manifest as fuzzy thinking, depression or anxiety, and insomnia.

The other organs have similar functions as Western medicine but as with the heart, are viewed differently in some ways.