QiLifeWhich organ systems need attention first?
Twenty questions across the five Zang-Fu systems. You get a score for each and the two weakest named explicitly, with what to do about them.
20 questions · about 4 minutes · 5 dimensions · no account needed · updated
The Zang-Fu system organises Chinese medicine around five functional systems rather than the anatomical organs of the same names. These are not the same as medical organs and this check does not assess any physical organ — it assesses the traditional functional patterns.
Five systems, twenty questions, and the result deliberately names the two weakest rather than listing all five in an undifferentiated row. In the traditional hierarchy the weakest system is usually treated first, since the others tend to follow.
The five systems
The Heart governs blood and vessels and houses the Shen, the mind. The Lung governs Qi and respiration and controls the skin, making it the body's outer defence. The Spleen governs transformation and transport — turning food into usable energy. The Liver governs free coursing, the smooth movement of Qi, and stores blood. The Kidney stores the constitutional essence and governs water metabolism and ageing.
These are functional descriptions built from thousands of clinical observation, not anatomical claims. A Heart pattern can appear in someone with perfectly healthy cardiovascular markers, and a Spleen pattern is not a diagnosis of any spleen-related condition.
How the two weakest are chosen
Each system is scored independently out of a hundred, and the report gives you the two lowest. Naming only two is deliberate: five equal-weight scores give you nothing to act on, whereas a clear first and second priority gives you an order to work in.
The scores also come with the symptoms that drove them, so you can see whether the result matches what you have actually noticed. If it does not, the system scores are less useful and the symptom-based assessment is the better place to start.
How organ work actually gets done
Within this framework, organ patterns are addressed through behaviour rather than through the organ directly. The Spleen responds to regular warm meals and moderate activity. The Liver responds to movement and reliable sleep. The Lung responds to breathing practice and managing dryness. The Kidney responds to warmth, rest and not over-exertion. The Heart responds to sleep and reduced stimulation.
Acupressure points exist for each system, and they are listed on the linked library pages along with the cautions attached to each one. How firmly you press and how long matters as much as which point you choose.
Questions people ask
Does this tell me if an organ is diseased?
No. Zang-Fu refers to five functional systems in a traditional framework, not to physical organs. Nothing in this check examines, tests or assesses any organ, and a result here is not a medical finding. If you have concerns about an actual organ, that needs a clinician.
Why only two systems?
Because a ranked list of five equal scores is not actionable. Naming the two weakest gives you a starting order, which is how the framework treats them — the weakest system is normally addressed first, and the others often follow once it improves.
My weakest score is very low across several systems. Does that mean something?
Low scores across the board usually mean you are answering from a difficult stretch rather than that five systems are independently impaired. Persistent fatigue, illness or a difficult period affects every system at once. If that is the situation, the constitution test is a better starting point.
How often should I retake this?
Every three to six months if you are working on something specific. The value is in the comparison — the same system moving from weakest to strongest is meaningful information that a single reading is not.
Patterns this assessment connects to
Each pattern page below explains what the pattern is, the signs that suggest it, and which acupoints, foods and teas the library lists against it.
Spleen
The Spleen governs transformation and transport — turning food and drink into usable energy, and moving what has been transformed.
Liver
The Liver governs free coursing — the smooth movement of Qi throughout the body — and stores blood between uses.
Kidney
The Kidney stores Jing — the constitutional essence that governs growth, ageing and reproduction — and governs water metabolism.
Lung
The Lung governs Qi and respiration, and controls the skin — it is the body's outer defence against cold, wind and dryness.
Heart
The Heart governs blood and vessels, and houses the Shen — the classical term for the mind and consciousness.
Related assessments
Nine Constitution Assessment
27 questions across 9 dimensions. About 5 minutes.
Symptom Pattern Decoder
28 questions across 8 dimensions. About 5 minutes.