The tongue has many relationships and connections in the body, both to the meridians and the internal organs. Tongue diagnosis in tcm acupuncture theory chinese medicine. Diagnostic tests for swollen tongue including blood tests, urine tests, swabs, diagnostic tests, lab tests, and pathology testing. Since we cannot see much beyond the mouth without some invasive diagnostics, a quick look at the tongue can tell much about the health. Seriously, please help, i just need to know what doctor to see. This is one of the most valuable tools available to us herbalists.
Tongue diagnosis is an important method in tcm to detect constitution like qi deficiency, yin deficiency, blood stasis, dampness, etc. Learn diagnosis tcm tongue with free interactive flashcards. Love your spleen tcm tongue diagnosis and case study. The tongue has a special relationship with the heart, in that. Some of this can be affected by what a person did that day. It can present strong visual indicators of a persons overall harmony or disharmony. Traditional chinese medicine diagnosis howstuffworks. For thousands of years, tongue diagnosis has played an indispensable role in the practice of ayurveda and traditional chinese medicine tcm. There are 4 conditions associated with swollen tongue. 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 diagnosis is a primary diagnostic tool in traditional chinese medicine. While tongue diagnosis can be used for acupuncture, its of particular importance for determining the proper diagnosis during your herbal medicine consult. Various parts of the tongue correspond to different bodily organs, such as kidneys, spleen and lungs, and a tcm doctor can determine their state of health and any pathological changes by observing the condition of the body muscular. At first i was told it was thyroid, then anxiety, then allergy, then into a dentist.
For thousands of years, tongue diagnosis has played an indispensable role in the practice of traditional chinese medicine. 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. A swollen tongue can result from infection, inflammation, allergy, genetic disorders, trauma, malignancy, metabolic diseases and other abnormal processes. According to the principles of tcm, analyzing the appearance of an individuals tongue can provide a greater understanding of his or her overall health. The foundation of tongue diagnosis is that the tongue reflects the general state of health of the individual, and a corresponding system exists between the tongues topography and the bodys organ systems. The tongue coating fur refers to a layer of moss over the tongue surface, which is produced by the stomach qi. Glossitis, by causing swelling of the tongue, may also cause the tongue to. Phlegm and blood stasis are often seen existing side by side, especially in older patients. Tongue diagnosis in chinese medicine by giovanni maciocia.
Although external diseases can easily be diagnosed by visual inspection, tcm usually employs all four examination techniques to ascertain the overall health condition of a patient. Traditional chinese medicine tcm naturally addresses mouth ulcers. The enlarged and swollen tongue body, even filling up mouth, is called a swollen. Tongue diagnosis traditional chinese medicine and acupuncture duration. An enlarged tongue with a red body and a greasy yellow coat may indicate spleen and stomach dampheat.
Tongue diagnosis is an important component of holistic diagnosis. Within tcm there are a couple of different schools of thought with regards to where to map different organs on the tongue. Tongue diagnosis is a practice long used in traditional chinese medicine a system of alternative medicine that originated in china. Observing the tongue is one of the major diagnostic tools of tcm and there are hundreds of possible indications. Diy ayurvedic tongue diagnosis john douillards lifespa. There are hundreds of variations and it takes quite a while to become quick at diagnosis. During an examination, the overall tongue coating, shape, and color is taken into account. Before describing the clinical significance of a swollen tongue, let us look at the clinical significance of a thin tongue i. Throughout traditional chinese medicine tcm, there are a number of terms. Tongue diagnosis, yin and yang in tongue, swollen tongue, tcm. The presence of teeth marks tms on the tongue surface indicates a swollen tongue and decreased resilience of the tongue surface.
How tongue diagnosis works by transformational acupuncture. The tongue can tell a great deal about the internal condition of the body. Tongue diagnosis is a convenient and noninvasive method for examining the functional condition of the body. Tonifying blood is one of the hardest things to achieve. How moist or dry the tongue is can be important for tongue diagnosis. A swollen tongue may suggest a congested lymphatic system backing up into tonsils, adenoids, and tongue. The most common cause of a smooth tongue is the use of dentures. Introduction to tongue assessment for the western herbalist.
Different trends of teeth marks according to qi blood yin yang. Tongue diagnosis is a primary method in chinese medicine for understanding whats. 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. Changes in tongue shape may include a swollen or puffy tongue said to be another indicator of problems with the pancreas andor digestive function, cracks in the tongue a possible sign of imbalance in the heart organ, an issue associated with insomnia and memory troubles, and curling at the sides of the tongue thought to indicate liver qi stagnation. In this article i am going to share with you knowledge about tongue diagnosis. Knowledge of tongue diagnosis is one of the unique treasures of traditional chinese medicine tcm. The upper surface contains the taste buds that act as the primary organ of taste. The tongue reflects the health of the internal organs and blood circulation.
If the tongue sits off center in the mouth, early or fullblown wind stroke may be present. Pi is used to guide the selection of treatments, such as herbal medicine and acupuncture. This is how i explain tcm tongue diagnosis to my patients. Swollen tongue in chinese medicine giovanni maciocia. Tongue diagnosis is a very traditional and effective method which has been used to diagnose diseases for over two thousand years. In tongue diagnosis, observation of the surface of the tongue is mainly focused on the shape, fur, and body of the tongue. Tongue diagnosis is one of the main diagnostic tools in traditional chinese medicine. Tongue diagnosis, yin and yang in tongue, swollen tongue.
According to traditional chinese medicine, scalloped tongue means that a deficiency of qi and yang in the body. Vertical crack on the tongue usually indicates the exhaustion of your body fluids specifically yin deficiency. In fall or autumn, the tongue may be thinner with a coating that is more dry. Identification of affected regions, corresponding meridians, yin or yang syndromes, specific details on swelling, pain, itching and pus formation are important diagnostic criteria. Understanding diagnostic reasoning in tcm practice. It seems to get worse, then better, then worse again. When we ask you to stick your tongue out, we are observing the appearance of the tongue in three distinct areas. Swelling of the tongue can occur due to inflammation of the tongue, known as glossitis, the presence of abnormal substances such as amyloid protein in the tongue, the collection of fluid in the tongue as a result of different disease processes, or tumors including tongue or other oral cancers that infiltrate the tissues of the tongue. During diagnosis, tcm strongly emphasizes specific details of the condition, as they help determine the appropriate technique and choice of drugs. B12 deficiency will also make the tongue sore and beefyred in color. An enlarged or swollen tongue can also occur as an. Sep 11, 20 there is a reasonable congruence between ayurvedic tongue assessment and tcm regarding the map of the organs on the tongue.
Tongue diagnosis is an integral part of taking a medical history in chinese medicine. The presence of teeth marks tms on the tongue surface indicates a swollen. Pale but not enlarged tongue with teeth marks means spleen deficiency or qi deficiency. Teeth marks can be seen on the tongue margins and the tongue body may be enlarged. Since we cannot see much beyond the mouth without some invasive diagnostics, a quick look at the. The tongue body refers to the muscular tissue of the tongue. Tcm practitioners rely on tongue diagnosis to differentiate one syndrome from another, and use variations in the tongues colour, texture, shape and coating to evaluate a patients condition. The differential diagnosis of tongue swelling article pdf available in forensic science medicine and pathology 93 september 2012 with 2,237 reads how we measure reads.
Tongue diagnosis gillian mckeith healthy eating, weight. In tongue diagnosis, observation of the surface of the tongue is mainly focused on. The secondary functions of the tongue are to help swallowing and chewing the food. A tongue is swollen when the whole body is larger than normal. The tongue body shows the condition of zang fu organs, especially zang, the yin organs. The tongue is the only muscle that you can see and reflects what the muscles look like inside.
This study explored 2 components of tongue diagnosis. Tongue diagnosis is an important part of the chinese medical assessment. Tongue diagnosis in traditional chinese medicine verywell health. The tongue body is also swollen which indicates the presence of phlegm. The lung and heart areas of the tongue are especially swollen which points towards the fact that the phlegm is predominantly in the upper burner. See more ideas about chinese medicine, traditional chinese medicine and acupuncture. It is therefore very useful and important during inspection for confirming tcm diagnosis.
A swollen tongue is a symptom of a variety of disorders, diseases or conditions. Enlarged tongue with many teeth marks means spleen deficiency with damp encumbrance. A swollen tongue can result from an allergic reaction or the more serious anaphylactic reaction. The tongue can roughly be divided into three segments anterior tip, middle and posterior root. A flaccid tongue that is deep red, reveals severe yin deficiency. Genesis chiropractic software marks more than a decade of. I have been having a swollen tongue and marked impressions from my teeth for months. The four examinations, part 2 tongue diagnosis in chinese. Practical diagnosis in traditional chinese medicine, 1e. Tongue diagnosis is involved, but below youll find a shortish list of what an acupuncturist is observing.
An essential tool in chinese medicine, the tongue nearly always. What your tongue can say about your health organic olivia. As we all know, a thin tongue indicates a deficiency of fluids, which may be blood is the tongue is pale or yin fluids if the tongue lacks a coating. Crucially, a swollen tongue is also somewhat rounder than a normal tongue. In fact, im surprised when acupuncturists dont use it. Tcm doctors rely on tongue diagnosis to differentiate one syndrome from another, and use variations in the tongues colour, texture, shape and coating to evaluate a patients condition. We may evaluate the size of the tongue compared to the opening of the mouth or observe any teeth marks on the sides. Choose from 500 different sets of diagnosis tcm tongue flashcards on quizlet. In my experience, a swollen tongue indicates phlegm.
It includes observing the tongue and any coating it may have. The contents of diagnostics of traditional chinese medicine tcm include. Based on our previous works, a tongue diagnosis system is finally presented. Dryness suggests a lack of fluids, especially of blood but also can point to heat.
Various parts of the tongue correspond to different bodily organs, such as kidneys, spleen and lungs, and a tcm doctor can determine their state of health and any pathological changes by observing the condition of the body muscular tissue, known as tongue proper, and the coating of the tongue. They have created a combination reference guide and practice management software to be used by practitioners. The tongue is the very beginning of the digestive tract, which lumbers on for another 30 feet or so. 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. Tcm practitioners rely on tongue diagnosis to differentiate one syndrome from another, and use variations in the tongues color, texture, shape and coating to.
The image on the left shows the correlation between the organs and area of the tongue. Webmd symptom checker helps you find the most common medical conditions indicated by the symptoms swollen tongue including drug allergy, dehydration children, and dehydration adult. Nutritional deficiencies include iron, folate and vitamin b12 deficiency. Swollen tongue and head symptoms 222 causes swollen tongue and swelling symptoms 219 causes swollen tongue and mouth symptoms 218 causes swollen tongue and nerve symptoms 214 causes swollen tongue and throat symptoms 210 causes swollen tongue and face symptoms 208 causes. The tongue is also useful as a measurement tool to gauge the progress of a disorder. The upper surface contains the taste buds that act as. Tongue exam stanford medicine 25 stanford medicine.
In tcm we do, we can test for the energetic component through pulse and tongue diagnosis no fancy equipment necessary. A flaccid tongue that is pale often reveals extreme qi or xue deficiency. Taking into account swelling of the tongue body your teeth marks it confirms the yin deficiency in the spleen and accumulation of damp. Aug 12, 20 tongue diagnosis is an important method in tcm to detect constitution like qi deficiency, yin deficiency, blood stasis, dampness, etc. The coating of the tongue would be observed separately from the actual body of the tongue. Diagnostic tests for swollen tongue right diagnosis. Tms are a crucial component of the tongue diagnostic method and are.
Diagnosis in traditional chinese medicine may appear to be simply a grouping of symptoms, but the elegance of chinese medicine is that a diagnosis automatically indicates a treatment strategy for example, a woman experiencing menopause may have hot flashes, night sweats, thirst, and irritability. With this in mind, its best not to eat or drink anything that may stain your tongue before your treatment. 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. Types of swelling swelling indicates blockage in the meridians or stagnated blood or qi flows. Changes in tongue shape may include a swollen or puffy tongue said to be. The tongue can be a great tool for better understanding the connection between body, mind. In very severe cases of swollen tongue, the tongue may be almost perfectly round. In full heat the coating will be thick, in empty heat there will be little or no coating. Tongue diagnosis in tcm tongue diagnosis is one of the main diagnostic tools in traditional chinese medicine. Seasons of the year in summer, there may be more dampness present in the tongue coating, leaving it slightly thicker and light yellow. Qi pronounced chi and yang are responsible for the smooth and orderly traffic as well as holding the organ in good shape. Ayurvedic tongue diagnosis made easy wake up world. The treatment of diseases with acupuncture and chinese herbs, 2e.
Chinese medicine believes that chronic imbalances will have a definite impact on the color and shape of the tongue body and the color and thickness of the tongue coating. Different trends of teeth marks according to qi blood yin. The aim of this study was to understand tongue diagnosis, an aspect of tcm practice that involves evaluation and interpretation of physical characteristics of the tongue to derive a tcm diagnosis. Tcm practitioners rely on tongue diagnosis to differentiate one syndrome from another, and use variations in the tongues color, texture, shape and coating to evaluate a patients condition. Atlas of chinese tongue diagnosis 2nd edition atlas of chinese tongue diagnosis, volume 2. Scalloped tongue or teeth marked tongue, is swollen tongue that feels surrounding the teeth of the lower. 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. Apr 24, 20 tongue diagnosis, yin and yang in tongue, swollen tongue, tcm theory, channels in tongue, byung choi. Ask the patient not to brush their tongue, at least the day of their tcm tongue diagnosis. Reading through the above you may think eureka, this is a doddle. Tongue diagnosis, yin and yang in tongue, swollen tongue, tcm theory, channels in tongue, byung choi. If the tongue is swollen from side to side it will develop teeth marks along the. In fall o r autumn, the tongue may be thinner with a coating that is more dry.
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. Tongue diagnosis in tcm acupuncture theory tcm acupuncture theory. Tongue diagnosis of traditional chinese medicine for. Observation of the tongue, also known as tongue diagnosis, is an important procedure in tcm examination. Tongue diagnosis is a practice long used in traditional chinese medicine a system. May 29, 2017 tongue diagnosis is involved, but below youll find a shortish list of what an acupuncturist is observing. As with the pulse, there are general qualities of the tongue that show how the body is doing on a macro level, and specific qualities that zoom in on particular organ systems of the body. Tongue assessment in traditional chinese medicine tcm. In chinese medicine, disease is explained by an imbalance of yin and yang and heat and cold in the human body. Tongue diagnosis introduction tongue is generally known as the organ of taste. The most important terms used in traditional chinese medicine.
A wet tongue can be due to excess kapha mucus from a severely irritated stomach lining, intestinal wall, undigested proteins like casein or gluten, or from excessive stress. Changes in the tongue color usually reflect chronic illness. Tongue diagnosis requires a great deal of knowledge of tcm theory and experience with. Tongue diagnosis in tcm beachside community acupuncture.
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