One of the greatest accomplishments of the ancient Chinese was to understand the five phases or cycles within nature and the body. Sometimes known as the five elements, the phases are attributed to wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Accompanying these are organs, senses, emotions, foods, colours and other manifestations that help a trained acupuncturist to tie signs and symptoms together. For this reason, things you may experience that seem unrelated are all interlinked and can be helpful for an acupuncturist to understand how best to treat your condition.