In tongue diagnosis, observation of the surface of the tongue is mainly focused on the shape, fur, and body of the tongue. Glossitis, by causing swelling of the tongue, may also cause the tongue to appear smooth. Geographic tongue is a condition that gets its name from a maplike appearance on the upper surface and sides of your tongue. A smooth tongue may be caused by dentures, certain nutritional deficiencies, or glossitis. These patches suggest deficient yin in either stomach andor kidney. Understanding diagnostic reasoning in tcm practice. In traditional chinese medicine tcm, the tongue is considered a very important sign for both the meridians and the internal organs of the body. Ask the patient not to brush their tongue, at least the day of their tcm tongue diagnosis. Smooth tongue is a tongue that is unusually smooth. Blood stasis stops fluids from being transported around the body smoothly therefore encouraging the production of phlegm, while phlegm blocks the smooth flow of qi and blood leading to stasis. White tongue is the result of an overgrowth and swelling of the fingerlike projections papillae on the surface of your tongue.
A black tongue usually isnt as serious as it looks. The condition of the heart can be seen by observing the tongue. In tcm, a normal tongue is one that is light red or pinkish, with a thin, white and moist coating. Pale being qi and blood deficiency, yang deficiency and cold. If you stick your tongue out at yourself in the mirror, you can actually see the health of your organs. Traditional chinese medicine tcm believes that itching is usually associated with wind pathogens.
Introduction to tongue nutrient diagnosis in functional. You may get it if you dont get enough of some nutrients like iron, folic acid, or b vitamins. Basic tongue diagnosis chart your tongue reveals a great deal about the state of your health to the trained eye it is a wealth of information and a highly effective early warning system that the chinese have used for thousands of years. B12 deficiency will also make the tongue sore and beefyred in color. In general, changes in tongue shape are thought to reflect. A red, irritated tongue was thought to mirror a red, irritated gut. By analyzing the tongue s shape, body color, coating and moisture level, a practitioner of chinese medicine can accurately determine a persons predominant health disharmony. This was seen in bvitamin deficiencies, glossitis and ileitis. I found this book a very nice description of the principles and practices of the tongue diagnosis in chinese medicine. It also provides a good example on how to describe in decent english the concepts and terms in chinese medicine. It should be supple, soft and flexible, even shaped and it should have no cracks.
Tongue diagnosis is a key process used in chinese medicine and there is growing. Difference between qi insufficiency and blood insufficiency is going to be in the moisture. Geographic tongue geographic tongue appears as smooth, red spots of an irregular shape on the side or top of your tongue. If there is insufficient blood in the heart, the tongue may appear pale. Webmd symptom checker helps you find the most common symptom combinations and medical conditions related to smooth tongue. A chinese medicine practitioner, with an integrative approach, will first take a. 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 normally covered with tiny, pinkishwhite bumps papillae, which are actually short, fine, hairlike projections. The following medical conditions are some of the possible causes of smooth.
Since we cannot see much beyond the mouth without some invasive diagnostics, a quick look at the. Tongue diagnosis introduction tongue is generally known as the organ of taste. It can be a strong indicator of a persons overall harmony or disharmony. The tongue should move easily and its surface should be smooth and soft. A smooth spot on the tongue can have several causes, but it may be linked to a general condition called glossitis, in which the tongue can swell and change colors.
Glossitis can mean soreness of the tongue, or more usually inflammation with depapillation of the dorsal surface of the tongue loss of the lingual papillae, leaving a smooth and erythematous reddened surface, sometimes specifically termed atrophic glossitis. This study, an important groundwork for clinical tongue diagnosis and future traditional chinese medicine tcm research, tested the hypothesis that some tongue features vary significantly between. Tongue diagnosis can be complicated but there are a few easy to look for signs that may give you an indication of whats going on. Former president, nanjing college of traditional chinese medicine. An essential tool in chinese medicine as the tongue nearly always shows the true condition of the patient. The tongue is totally peeled without coating and with many cracks, both signs of chronic yin deficiency. White spots are usually due to spleen and stomach qi deficiency together with. Have the areas checked for thrush, a yeast infection.
A normal tongue sign is proper size, soft in quality, free in motion, pale red in color. The most common cause of a smooth tongue is the use of dentures. A tender tongue that appears smooth, delicate, and is possibly swollen indicates. The tongue will be a healthy red color when this organ is in balance. With glossitis, the tiny projections called papillae normally found on the tongue are lost and the surface becomes smooth in patches or over the entire 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. The longer your tongue is out of your mouth, the darker it appears. The secondary functions of the tongue are to help swallowing and chewing the food. According to the principles of tcm, analyzing the appearance of an individuals tongue can provide a greater understanding of his or her overall health. Come and go or change very quickly in days, weeks, or months. Tongue diagnosis is an integral part of taking a medical history in chinese medicine.
Tongue diagnosis is an important method in tcm to detect constitution like qi deficiency, yin deficiency, blood stasis, dampness, etc. Aug 12, 20 tongue diagnosis is an important method in tcm to detect constitution like qi deficiency, yin deficiency, blood stasis, dampness, etc. Here is what a yellow tongue may tell us, according to tcm. Every persons tongue is unique, with distinct characteristics that reflect their inner health. Division of tongue surface 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. The telltale signs of geographic tongue are irregular, smooth, red patches on parts of the tongue. The tongue reflects the health of the internal organs and blood circulation. Tongue diagnosis of traditional chinese medicine for rheumatoid.
Tongue diagnosis is an important method of tcm to detect blood stasis. Inspection and tongue study methods in tcm shen nong. The tongue is a map of the body in chinese medicine. Normal tongue shape is neither too thick nor too thin. Observation of the tongue, also known as tongue diagnosis, is an important procedure in tcm examination. A tongue with a thick and yellow coating or swollen taste buds will indicate excess heat or an interior heat pattern. The appearance and qualities of the tongue is a critical part of diagnosis in chinese medicine tcm.
White coating on tongue may mean deficiency in the heart, liver. The effectiveness of this has led to an integrative approach in the diagnosis of a condition. 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. The tongue is the beginning of the digestive tract, which lumbers on for another 30 feet or so. Jun 24, 2016 in traditional chinese medicine using the tongue in order to clearly see the health of the body is very common. The tongue body refers to the muscular tissue of the tongue. It is a multidirectional and systematic analysis process which is vital in any tcm treatment determination. Home examination and diagnosis internal medicine itchiness traditional chinese sees itchy conditions. In conventional medicine, inspection of the tongue is an integral part of the physical exam and can provide clues to many diseases. A pale and moist tongue with a thick white coating is an indication of dampcold or excessive dampness. Treatment cannot begin until observation using sight has been made and other methods of diagnosis have been employed. The chinese medicine forestry trust promotes planetary, human and species health and wellbeing by planting trees and protecting forests throughout the world.
Knowledge of tongue diagnosis is one of the unique treasures of traditional chinese medicine tcm. The patches on the tongue are caused by an absence of papillae or tiny bumps in the affected area. In fact, im surprised when acupuncturists dont use it. Glossitis inflammation of the tongue is a symptom of this. In fall or autumn, the tongue may be thinner with a coating that is more dry. Tongue diagnosis in traditional chinese medicine january 26, 2016 sarah johnson if youve ever had an acupuncture treatment, there is a pretty good chance that at some point your practitioner has asked to take a look at your tongue. Tcm diagnosis by looking observation one of the 4 pillars. Traditional chinese medicine tcm has developed a unique, effective diagnostic approach using inspection of the tongue. A central short crack in the middle of the tongue often indicates stomach yin. How tongue diagnosis works by transformational acupuncture. The shape of the tongue can be medium, fat, thin, and tilted. Tongue diagnosis is a primary method in chinese medicine for understanding whats happening inside the bodyits the other mri of. A tongue without any small bumps on the top may look glossy red. Tongue diagnosis is involved, but below youll find a shortish list of what an acupuncturist is observing.
Doctor of traditional chinese medicine vancouver area. Jul 05, 2018 a black tongue usually isnt as serious as it looks. In a wider sense, glossitis can mean inflammation of the tongue generally. This simplified guide to tongue examination is for reference only. Welcome to traditional chinese medicine slideshare. Excerpt from demystifying chinese medicine class 4, taught by danny geren, l. Giovanni maciocia discusses tongue diagnosis, including the importance of colour, shape and coating in chinese medicine, complete with tongue photos. Diy ayurvedic tongue diagnosis john douillards lifespa. The chinese medicine, considers tongue as a map that corresponds to. Dark red, bruised spots or patches, blood stasis with heat. The use of sight in traditional chinese medicine diagnosis is crucial.
To reset the colour, just pull your tongue back into your mouth for a few moments. If there are red spots with a thin coat, this usually indicates damage to the ying or xue level. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt in applying noninvasive tcm tongue diagnosis to the discrimination of bcps and nps. Traditional chinese medicine tongue diagnosis carahealth.
Foundations of chinese medicine, practice of chinese medicine and tongue diagnosis in chinese medicine are all outstanding contributions of scholarship and clinical acumen, and this present volume obstetrics and gynaecology in chinese medicine significantly adds to his accomplishments. Use of sight in traditional chinese medicine diagnosis. Tongue diagnosis in chinese medicine by giovanni maciocia. When it comes to assessing a persons liver health, there are various tongue indications a. According to the traditional chinese medicine tcm, ra falls into the category of impediment disease bi syndrome, that is, poor circulation of qi and blood stasis.
However, lesions on the tongue may indicate other moreserious conditions of the tongue or diseases affecting the body in general. This tongue diagnosis technique will show the practitioner what is wrong with the body so that he or she can then recommend treatments such a nutrition, massage, herbal remedies, exercise, acupressure, or acupuncture. Tongue diagnosis is a very traditional and effective method which has been used to diagnose diseases for over two thousand years. Tcm doctors rely on tongue diagnosis to differentiate one syndrome from another, and use variations in the tongue s colour, texture, shape and coating to evaluate a patients condition. It is therefore very useful and important during inspection for confirming tcm diagnosis. Tongue diagnosis in tcm beachside community acupuncture. However, your chinese medicine practitioner will talk to you about your pulse diagnosis, and the most common descriptions are. Looking observation in tcm diagnosis is one of the 4 pillars of evaluation in chinese medicine.
The tongue body shows the condition of zang fu organs, especially zang, the yin organs. During an examination, the overall tongue coating, shape, and color is taken into account. The fundamental basis of acupuncture treatment for pain. Learn more about the symptoms, causes, risk factors, diagnosis, and. Youll also learn about the types of things that can contribute to a black tongue. Click on the combination that matches your symptoms to find the conditions that may cause these problems. In 1942 it was understood that what was happening in the gut was often reflected in the tongue. How traditional chinese medicine sees itchy conditions.
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. The appearance of a white coating is caused by debris, bacteria and dead cells getting lodged between the enlarged and sometimes inflamed papillae. It is especially important in confirming the tcm diagnosis. Tongue diagnosis gillian mckeith healthy eating, weight. Nutritional deficiencies include iron, folate and vitamin b12 deficiency.
Atrophic glossitis a smooth glossy tongue surface, caused by loss of. Changes in the tongue color usually reflect chronic illness. Chinese medicine considers the tongue to be the window to total body health. Tongue diagnosis is an important part of the chinese medical assessment. The tongue has many relationships and connections in the body, both to the meridians and the internal organs. Our tongues say a lot about us, including our health. Tongue assessment in traditional chinese medicine tcm. For a proper diagnosis, always consult an accredited tcm physician. Learning to read the 28 pulses that are an essential part of chinese medicine diagnosis takes years of study and practice. See detailed information below for a list of 41 causes of red tongue, symptom checker, assessment questionnaire, including diseases and drug side effect causes. A tongue can be slightly pale, but when you see a pale tongue, it almost looks white. Pdf tongue diagnosis of traditional chinese medicine for.
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. If you have lesions on the tongue that dont resolve within 10 days, see your doctor or dentist. We also cover diagnosis, treatment, and prevention tips. 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. However it is best to see a practitioner who specialises in tongue diagnosis. Tongue diagnosis is a practice long used in traditional chinese medicine a system of alternative medicine that originated in china. Seasons of the year in summer, there may be more dampness present in the tongue coating, leaving it slightly thicker and light yellow. In this way, tcm offers keys to harmonious health through understanding what we see about our tongue.
Looking, includes observation of spirit shen, body, head and face, sense organs, and digital venule examination in children. Tongue diagnosis introduction tongue is generally known as. Traditional chinese medicine is the oldest professional, continuously practised medicine in the world. It is now the second largest medical system in the world.
Red lines and patches on the tongue are common in people suffering from anaemia. In this article, we look at what healthy spots on the tongue do, and the causes of unusual spots. The tongue coating fur refers to a layer of moss over the tongue surface, which is produced by the stomach qi. May 29, 2017 the tongue reflects how a persons body is balanced, generally in a more longterm way than pulse diagnosis. With geographic tongue, patches on the surface of the tongue are missing papillae and appear as smooth, red islands, often with slightly raised borders. The tongue is the only muscle that you can see and reflects what the muscles look like inside. Home our blog the four examinations, part 2 tongue diagnosis in chinese medicine the four examinations, part 2 tongue diagnosis in chinese medicine share this with your friends 0 0 0 0. Tongue exam stanford medicine 25 stanford medicine. A misguided study to test the reliability of traditional. This is a method for tcm physicians to understand and predict the. Su wen herbs supports the chinese medicine forestry trust. 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. Im not a medical scientist but part of my research is related with chinese medicine. See detailed information below for a list of 15 causes of smooth tongue, symptom checker, including diseases and drug side effect causes.
See your gp or dentist if you have persistent pain and you havent accidentally bitten or burnt your tongue. A sore or painful tongue is usually caused by something obvious and visible. The tcm tongue diagnosis can serve as a preliminary screening procedure in early detection of bc in light of its simple and noninvasive nature, followed by other more accurate testing process. Geographic tongue is a minor although sometimes uncomfortable condition. Jan 17, 2017 in this video i have mentioned how to do ayurvedic tongue diagnosis. The tongue is the sense organ related to the heart. Tcm diagnosis is the most difficult yet most important fundamental core of traditional chinese medicine. Tonguethe tongue is one of the major pillars of diagnosis, the other main one being the pulse.
Giovanni maciocia lecture on tongue diagnosis youtube. It includes observing the tongue and any coating it may have. The swelling of the tongue body indicates phlegm while the partial swelling on the left side often indicates a weakness of the channels on that side. A wind condition is characterized by rapid development, constant. A tender tongue that appears smooth, delicate, and is possibly swollen indicates a. How moist or dry the tongue is can be important for tongue diagnosis. Some of this can be affected by what a person did that day. Tongue assessment in traditional chinese medicine verywell health. 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. Tongue diagnosis what your tongue says about your health. How to use traditional chinese medicine to do a tongue. According to traditional chinese medicine tcm, the tongue is an important diagnostic tool for evaluating the meridians and internal organs of the body, including in the digestive system. By examining the face, the body, and the tongue, a practitioner can recognize signs and symptoms that indicate illness.
Tongue diagnosis in chinese medicine tcm tongue diagnosis in chinese medicine the normal tongue in traditional chinese medicine has a light red or pinkish body with a thin white coating. If there is blood stagnation, the tongue will reflect this with a dark purple color. A tender tongue that appears smooth, delicate, and is possibly swollen indicates deficiency. Itching is the most common symptom in skin problems. A geographic tongue, with discolored, painless patches, is a benign condition seen in % of the population. There are a few less obvious causes that may need treating. This is how i explain tcm tongue diagnosis to my patients. Crack down center, depending on length, can indicate severity of disease and. The four examinations, part 2 tongue diagnosis in chinese medicine. Tongue diagnosis of traditional chinese medicine for.
The four examinations, part 2 tongue diagnosis in chinese. In this article i am going to share with you knowledge about tongue diagnosis. A smooth, welldemarcated patch without papillae on the posterior portion of the tongue was discovered incidentally while the oropharynx of a 65yearold woman was being examined. When you go to a chinese medicine practitioner, whether for treatment of an illness, acute pain, or to begin a program of preventive care, the doctor will follow a system of evaluation and diagnosis that depends on observation and questioning.