Changes in the tongue color usually reflect chronic illness. Soothing music will be played to help you relax during this time many people even fall asleep during treatment. Click on the combination that matches your symptoms to find the conditions that may cause these problems. Red spots on the sides of the tongue livergallbladder area may also indicate a more severe illness. The appearance and qualities of the tongue is a critical part of diagnosis in chinese medicine tcm. During your acupuncture visit your acupuncturist will want to look at your tongue. Tongue diagnosis is a primary method in chinese medicine for. Giovanni maciocia acupuncture tongue diagnosis part 1 introduction duration. They are both used to derive a tcm diagnosis for your condition which is used to plan your treatment. Tongue diagnosis, yin and yang in tongue, swollen tongue. Some of this can be affected by what a person did that day. A red tongue indicates that there is heat present in the body, and the redder the tongue, the greater amount of heat present.
Sides of your tongue the sides of your tongue display the wood element. Question about tongue diagnosis acupuncture fertility. This condition, also known as benign migratory glossitis, is named for the maplike pattern of reddish spots that develop on the surface of the tongue. As you continue treatment with acupuncture and herbs, your overall health will improve, and it will be reflected in your tongue. Dec 22, 2019 the tongue, according to ayurveda, is a strong diagnostic tool for looking at ones systemic health. My question to you is why do you keep closing your eyes when you stick your tongue out. Understanding diagnostic reasoning in tcm practice. Theyre bioelectromagnetic patches that contain high purity zinc and cooper in a magnetic field. In fact, im surprised when acupuncturists dont use it. To enlarge the chart for readability, click on it once, pause, then click on it again. Excerpt from demystifying chinese medicine class 4, taught by danny geren, l.
In this article i am going to share with you knowledge about tongue diagnosis. The tongue body is also swollen which indicates the presence of phlegm. Stress and anxiety will show up as red color and red dots on the tip of the tongue. A normal tongue is moist and has an appropriate red color. Jul 01, 2014 tongue diagnosis is a powerful tool for me to gauge progress of a patient along with discussions of symptoms. The first area is the front portion of the tongue, which is related to the organs of the chest the heart and lungs. Tongue diagnosis is more traditionally associated with organ diagnosis, and herbal formula prescriptions whereas pulse diagnosis is more traditionally associated with meridian diagnosis and acupuncture prescriptions. Tongue diagnosis in acupuncture mairead fahy body matters. The appearance of a white coating is caused by debris, bacteria and dead cells getting lodged between the enlarged and sometimes inflamed papillae. When looking at a patients tongue we examine the tongue body color, tongue body shape, and tongue coating. Tongue diagnosis is an important part of the chinese medical assessment.
In tcm, its thought that different areas of the tongue reflect the health of five corresponding organ systems. In this case, the tongue colour is consistent over the whole tongue so we cannot determine from the tongue alone where the blood stasis is located. Each area represents the current state of health of its designated organ and organ system. The tongue is normally covered with tiny, pinkishwhite bumps. For example, if the tip of the tongue has lots of very red dots, the patient. Tongue analysis can be used in complement with pulse, nail, and facial diagnosis in order to really see what is going on. I learn a lot about a patients health from examining their tongue. A scalloped tongue one with ridges on the outside edge indicates fluid retention. The tongue body proper is going to give you information more about the yin organs, the blood organs in particular. It is a very accurate view into the inner health of an individual. I can often tell when someone smokes, or has been drinking a lot of alcohol by the state of the tongue.
Why do you keep on asking me to stick my tongue out. This papillae loss appears as smooth, red patches of varying shapes and sizes. Tongue diagnosis is one of the most ancient and highly reliable techniques for discerning a patients root cause of a disease. Jun 14, 2016 the tongue is a map of the body in chinese medicine. Learning to read the 28 pulses that are an essential part of chinese medicine diagnosis takes years of study and practice. The swelling on the sides indicates chronic spleen deficiency and the rootless coating missing in patches indicates stomachyin deficiency. Tongue diagnosis is an important part of the chinese medicine. Tongue diagnosis in acupuncture february 19, 2014 in tongue diagnosis by mairead when you visit an acupuncturist for the first time, you will go through a huge amount of questions involving diet, stress factors, lifestyle choices, past medical history, etc, but one of the most astonishing things you will be asked to do is. Tongue diagnosis is a key factor in creating a chinese medical diagnosis. They are based on imagination, not on anatomical and physiologic reality. Observation of the tongue, also known as tongue diagnosis, is an important procedure in tcm examination. Tongue color varies widely from person to person, but is a good indicator of the overall nature of what is going on in the body.
If there are red spots with a thin coat, this usually indicates damage to the ying or xue level. Feb 03, 2014 we specialize in using acupuncture, chinese herbal medicine, diet, and lifestyle changes to create health and alleviate or eliminate uncomfortable symptoms and conditions. The aims of this study were to 1 understand cognitive strategies and diagnostic reasoning processes of tcm practitioners engaged in tongue diagnosis and 2 investigate tcm practitioners. Tongue diagnosis in tcm is comprehensive and much information can be gathered from it such as the degree of the pathogenic factor and the state of. Tongue assessment in traditional chinese medicine verywell health. Spleen qi deficiency, especially if teeth marks on the sides or damp heat. Apr 25, 20 when a practitioner of tcm looks at a patients tongue heshe is looking at many things such as the tongue body, shape, movement, coating as well as the yin and yang organs reflected on the tongue. I sometimes see red dots on your tongue and this signifies the energy pattern of empty heat this often accompanies a yin deficiency pattern. The two large, elevated papilla on the back of the tongue are a normal part of the taste buds. The tongue itself usually cant tell you what formula to take. We specialize in using acupuncture, chinese herbal medicine, diet, and lifestyle changes to create health and alleviate or eliminate uncomfortable symptoms and.
Mar 18, 20 tongue diagnosis is more traditionally associated with organ diagnosis, and herbal formula prescriptions whereas pulse diagnosis is more traditionally associated with meridian diagnosis and acupuncture prescriptions. Inspection and tongue study methods in tcm shennong. The treatment of diseases with acupuncture and chinese herbs, 2e. Colour of the tongue body, including red prickles or black dots coating on the tongue surface colour, thickness, dryness or moistness of the coating shape of the tongue fissurescracks in the tongue. It can be a strong indicator of a persons overall harmony or disharmony. White tongue is the result of an overgrowth and swelling of the fingerlike projections papillae on the surface of your tongue. The reddishpurple colour indicates blood stasis with heat. The chart above gives a glimpse into chinese tongue diagnosis. However, sometimes your symptoms might occur due to an underlying ailment that requires medical treatment. A misguided study to test the reliability of traditional. This is an excerpt of my book with over 400 acupuncture points. However, your chinese medicine practitioner will talk to you about your pulse diagnosis, and the most common descriptions are. A misguided study to test the reliability of traditional chinese medicine pulse diagnosis.
By observing the body, color and coating of the tongue, a practitioner can easily understand underlying conditions and ailments and make a prognosis for the healing course. Tongue diagnosis is used all the time by acupuncturists and practitioners trained in chinese medicine it is an important way to diagnose a patients health and sometimes can be crucial in deciding what to do first. The tongue is a map of the body in chinese medicine. Tongue and pulse reading according to chinese medicine. The tongue is normally covered with tiny, pinkishwhite bumps papillae, which are actually short, fine, hairlike projections. It is especially important in confirming the tcm diagnosis. Be sure to check out the free ebook on the top 5 acupuncture points on the left side of the page. Pulse and tongue diagnosis is often a part of the first acupuncture appointment, and always part of our herbal consultations. Geographic tongue results from the loss of tiny hairlike projections papillae on your tongue s surface. But once we know what the symptoms are then the tongue is useful in finding the right formula. You may also notice a bluishgreen or purplish hue or spots in this zone. You can also get a pulse and tongue diagnosis checkup as part of a holistic health counseling appointment. Tongue diagnosis is involved, but below youll find a shortish list of what an acupuncturist is observing.
During an examination, the overall tongue coating, shape, and color is taken into account. Pulse diagnosis and tongue diagnosis are widely used in traditional chinese medicine. In addition to acupuncture, treatments may also include heat therapy, herbal prescriptions, nutritional supplements, and diet and lifestyle advice. Acupuncture what to expect, pulse, tongue diagnosis. The tongue reflects the health of the internal organs and blood circulation. See more ideas about chinese medicine, traditional chinese medicine and acupuncture. Webmd symptom checker helps you find the most common symptom combinations and medical conditions related to white patches on tongue. Tongue diagnosis in chinese medicine by giovanni maciocia. Geographic tongue is an inflammatory but harmless condition affecting the surface of your tongue. As you look at your tongue then, check the following regularly, note their location on the tongue, as well as any changes over time. Needles are typically retained for about 30 minutes. Causes of papillae hypertrophy or inflammation include, for example. Introduction to chinese medicine diagnosis chinese medicine diagnosis is made by integrating a myriad of symptoms. Tongue the tongue is one of the major pillars of diagnosis, the other main one being the pulse.
The four examinations, part 2 tongue diagnosis in chinese. Giovanni maciocia discusses tongue diagnosis, including the. Pulse and tongue diagnosis are two of the most important diagnostic tools used in chinese medicine. A tongue that is pale indicates a deficiency of qi and blood or the presence of cold. The tongue is an important useful organ for many animals. Tongue diagnosis is a very traditional and effective method which has been used to diagnose diseases for over two thousand years. Red spots on the entire tongue may indicate a more severe illness. However, the most likely pattern is that of liverblood stasis. The color, coating, shape and texture of various parts of the tongue yield information about the state of the organs. Tongue diagnosis in tcm beachside community acupuncture.
Understanding tongue diagnosis in chinese medicine midwest. May 29, 2017 the tongue reflects how a persons body is balanced, generally in a more longterm way than pulse diagnosis. Thorough and clinicallyoriented, this text describes the principles of tongue diagnosis in great detail. Sep 28, 2016 understanding tongue diagnosis in chinese medicine jennifer dubowsky, lac, is a licensed acupuncturist with a practice in downtown chicago, illinois, since 2002. Tongue diagnosis traditional chinese medicine and acupuncture. The tongue is such an important diagnostic tool for chinese medicine. Teeth markings on the sides of the tongue usually mean stagnant energy in the liver network. For most new patients, it seems odd to stick out your tongue at someone. Dark red, bruised spots or patches, blood stasis with heat. The pack comes with the map of the body and the pressure points used in acupuncture, telling me where to place the patches. Each of the major aspects of the tongue body color, shape and coating and its relationship to the diagnostic process is described systematically. Giovanni maciocia acupuncture tongue diagnosis part 10 red. This guide is a basic reference for participants of the introduction to chinese tongue diagnosis workshop with belfast community acupuncture, culture night belfast 20.
How tongue diagnosis works by transformational acupuncture. Knowledge of tongue diagnosis is one of the unique treasures of traditional chinese medicine tcm. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Tongue and pulse diagnosis are two of the more important diagnostic tools in chinese medicine.
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