It is especially important in confirming the tcm diagnosis. Tongue diagnosis is a key process used in chinese medicine and there is. Qi pronounced chi and yang are responsible for the smooth and orderly traffic as well as holding the organ in good shape. One telltale sign of an enlarged, swollen tongue is the presence of an irregular shape, with. A tongue with a thick and yellow coating or swollen taste buds will indicate excess heat or an interior heat pattern. What is acupressure tongue diagnosis a healthy tongue is slightly moist, pink, and has a very slight white coat. However, the explanation in this article is more detailed than the one i found in dr. On physical examination, there are several characteristics of the tongue that should be noted. Seasons of the year in summer, there may be more dampness present in the tongue coating, leaving it slightly thicker and light yellow. Chinese medicine tongue diagnosis comox valley acupuncture. The tongue body refers to the muscular tissue of the tongue. This is one of the most valuable tools available to us herbalists. Pulse diagnosis and tongue diagnosis are widely used in traditional chinese medicine.
The tongue body is also swollen which indicates the presence of phlegm. Hypothyroidism is generally considered to be a deficiency of spleen andor kidney yang energy, especially. Chinese medicine diagnosis and treatment sacred lotus. Woman sleeping on sofa in living room, book covering face.
Learn diagnosis tcm tongue with free interactive flashcards. During an examination, the overall tongue coating, shape, and color is taken into account. I had read his book several years before that and had been looking at tongues both human and animal for years, but it seemed that there was so much to know and try to understand that it seemed. Tongue analysis can be used in complement with pulse, nail, and facial diagnosis in order to really see what is going on. Tongue inflammation occurs when the tongue becomes swollen and possibly discolored. This method involves examination of the shape, size, color, and texture of the tongue body and coat and helps reveal the state of. The tongue is a map of the body in chinese medicine. An enlarged tongue with a red body and a greasy yellow coat may indicate spleen and stomach dampheat. Swollen tongues, like swelling anywhere in the body, point to damp or phlegm. You might be self conscious of this, you do not need to be. Acupuncture points for a swollen tongue answers on healthtap. If the tongue swells sufficiently, it will press against the teeth. Tongue assessment in traditional chinese medicine tcm. Based on our previous works, a tongue diagnosis system is finally.
Choose from 500 different sets of diagnosis tcm tongue flashcards on quizlet. The tongue exam can reflect a number of underlying diagnoses such as infections, nutritional deficiencies, malignancy and even neurological dysfunction. This is how i explain tcm tongue diagnosis to my patients. Sacred lotus has helped millions of people learn chinese medicine for over 15 years. Home acupuncture open up and say aaahhh tongue diagnosis in tcm. But the extensive collection of photos in this book do a good job of indicating what is meant by a pale tongue, a red tongue, a swollen tongue, a thick or thin coating, etc. 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.
Since the tongue always reflects the basic, underlying pattern, it is extremely reliable, especially whenever there are. Tongue diagnosis in chinese medicine book by giovanni maciocia. Changes in tongue shape may include a swollen or puffy tongue said to be another. Traditional chinese medicine diagnosis a beginners guide. It is considered a pillar of diagnosis because it provides clearly visible clues to a patients pattern of disease. The chinese medicine, considers tongue as a map that corresponds. Tongue diagnosis introduction tongue is generally known as. Introduction to tongue nutrient diagnosis in functional. Tongue diagnosis is an important part of the chinese medical assessment. It is a very accurate view into the inner health of an individual. Tongue diagnosis introduction tongue is generally known as the organ of taste. In fact, im surprised when acupuncturists dont use it. Some of this can be affected by what a person did that day. Tongue diagnosis of traditional chinese medicine for.
It also provides a good example on how to describe in decent english the concepts and terms in chinese medicine. I recommend this book for serious tcm students and for people who want to learn how health problems can. If a patient presents with a swollen tongue as in the picture. In fall o r autumn, the tongue may be thinner with a coating that is more dry. I didnt know enough about chinese medicine or the language. In chinese medicine, each type of tongue quality relates to a chinese diagnosis, as well as particular physical and mentalemotional symptoms. I invite you to book a time to find out more about how chinese herbal medicine. The closest doc in medicine to evaluate tmj would be an ent doc.
I once attended a tongue diagnosis seminar at bastyr university given my a wonderful author, giovanni maciocia. Ideally it looks like the tongue of a six or sevenyearold child if you have access to one, check it out. Click here to see when jonathan is available, or to book your appointment online. According to traditional chinese medicine, scalloped tongue means that a deficiency of qi and yang in the body. Doctors give trusted, helpful answers on causes, diagnosis, symptoms, treatment, and more. 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 divided into different areas, and these areas reflect the chinese medicine organ system. The photos provide a graphic representation of a wide variety of common disorders. The swollen tongue shape indicates accumulation of fluids, often caused by.
This is after all an important aspect of tongue diagnosis, i. Tongue diagnosis in chinese medicine the tongue has many relationships and connections in the body, both to the meridians and the internal organs. The four examinations, part 2 tongue diagnosis in chinese. The appearance and qualities of the tongue is a critical part of diagnosis in chinese medicine tcm. In tongue diagnosis, observation of the surface of the tongue is mainly focused on. Diy ayurvedic tongue diagnosis john douillards lifespa. Changes in the tongue color usually reflect chronic illness.
Understanding diagnostic reasoning in tcm practice. It reveals information about the chronicity and severity of a particular pathology. Observation of the tongue, also known as tongue diagnosis, is an important procedure in tcm examination. When we look at your tongue, it tells us a lot about your health. One of the principal diagnostic methods in traditional chinese medicine tcm is the inspection of the tongue. Especially we can check the condition of blood and body fluids. The tongue reflects the health of the internal organs and blood circulation.
Yin and yang in tongue, swollen tongue, tcm theory. Tongue diagnosis is a primary method in chinese medicine for understanding whats happening. Tongue diagnosis is a practice long used in traditional chinese medicine a system of. In this article i am going to share with you knowledge about tongue diagnosis. In ayurveda, one of the primary investigative tools of practitioners for determining the state of ones health is tongue diagnosis or evaluation of the tongue the tongue is the beginning of the digestive tract, which lumbers on for another 30 feet or so. Tongue diagnosis is a very traditional and effective method which has been used to diagnose diseases for over two thousand years. In the traditional chinese medicine tcm system, the diagnosis and treatment of individuals with a conventional medicine diagnosis of hypothyroidism depends on the history, tongue, and pulse diagnosis. Here is what a yellow tongue may tell us, according to tcm. The tongue, according to ayurveda, is a strong diagnostic tool for looking at ones systemic health.
Chinese medicine tongue diagnosis show me your tongue did you know that your tongue is giving very important clues about your overall health. What your tongue can say about your health organic olivia. The color of the tongue, its shape, its coating or lack of, all these details can give us information about what is going on internally. Tongue diagnosis is a primary method in chinese medicine for understanding whats happening inside the bodyits the other mri of traditional medical systems. A misguided study to test the reliability of traditional chinese medicine pulse diagnosis. This was seen in bvitamin deficiencies, glossitis and ileitis. A misguided study to test the reliability of traditional. Tongue diagnosis is one of the four pillars of examination in traditional chinese medicine, and reveals to the practitioner a basic guide of where disharmony is present. The ventral surface may have some visible vasculature. Internal classic is an important classic book in tcm. 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. The four examinations, part 2 tongue diagnosis in chinese medicine. How tongue diagnosis works by transformational acupuncture.
This may sound strange to those of us who were raised in a western society that only looks at blood work, but youd be surprised at all your tongue can tell you. 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. Whether you need a quick reference or in depth knowledge, we provide authentic, researched, and well organized information. In fact, i can find out almost everything i need to know regarding your health just from looking at your tongue. Tongue diagnosis and analysis natural health techniques. When the very tip of the tongue is red this means that there is a major emotional cause of whatever the rest of the tongue indicates as disease.
I found this book a very nice description of the principles and practices of the tongue diagnosis in chinese medicine. In traditional chinese medicine tcm, the tongue is considered a very important sign for both the meridians and the internal organs of the body. Many healing systems recognize the tongue as reflecting something about the health of a person, both patterns of overall health or imbalance and the state of particular organs and tissues. It can be a strong indicator of a persons overall harmony or disharmony. Tongue diagnosis is an important method in tcm to detect constitution like qi deficiency, yin deficiency, blood stasis, dampness, etc. Practice of chinese medicine and tongue diagnosis in chinese medicine are all outstanding contributions of.
Tongue diagnosis in tcm beachside community acupuncture. In chinese medicine, each type of tongue quality relates to a chinese diagnosis, as well as particular physical and mentalemotional symptoms these will be described in more detail below. This new 2nd edition of atlas of chinese tongue diagnosis contains over two hundred color photographs of tongues seen in a western clinic. Traditional chinese medicine diagnosis a beginners. It also informs the practitioner about the underlying strength or weakness of the patient s constitution. A red, irritated tongue was thought to mirror a red, irritated gut. We are not looking at it to show the quality of your dental hygiene. A swollen tongue is a symptom of a variety of disorders, diseases or conditions. Examination of the tongue, like the pulse, is one of the principal diagnostic methods in traditional chinese medicine.
The tongue reflects how a persons body is balanced, generally in a more longterm way than pulse diagnosis. Tongue exam stanford medicine 25 stanford medicine. Giovanni maciocia discusses tongue diagnosis, including the importance of colour, shape and coating in chinese medicine, complete with tongue photos. A swollen tongue can result from an allergic reaction or the more serious anaphylactic reaction. Other names for tongue inflammation include tongue. Tongue diagnosis tongue diagnosis is part of diagnosis by looking in traditional chinese medicine tcm. The secondary functions of the tongue are to help swallowing and chewing the food. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Swollen tongue in chinese medicine giovanni maciocia. This book newly revised in 1995systematically describes each of the primary characteristics of the tongue body color, shape and coating and their significance in the clinic.
When you get acupuncture, your acupuncturist will look at your tongue. It is therefore very useful and important during inspection for confirming tcm diagnosis. It includes observing the tongue and any coating it may have. Tongue diagnosis in chinese medicine by giovanni maciocia. If a patient presents with a swollen tongue as in the picture above i definitely resolve phlegm. Since we cannot see much beyond the mouth without some invasive diagnostics, a quick look at the. In 1942 it was understood that what was happening in the gut was often reflected in the tongue. The upper surface contains the taste buds that act as. Introduction to tongue assessment for the western herbalist. Scalloped tongue or teeth marked tongue, is swollen tongue that feels surrounding the teeth of the lower. Tongue diagnosis is an important method used in chinese medicine to.
A swollen tongue can result from infection, inflammation, allergy, genetic disorders, trauma, malignancy, metabolic diseases and other abnormal processes. For our herbalists, the tongue helps us select the proper herbal formula. Knowledge of tongue diagnosis is one of the unique treasures of traditional chinese medicine tcm. Tongue diagnosis is involved, but below youll find a shortish list of what an acupuncturist is observing. For a practitioner of chinese medicine, tongue diagnosis is a fundamental diagnostic tool the tongue reflects the material state of our body. They are based on imagination, not on anatomical and physiologic reality.
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