This simplified guide to tongue examination is for reference only. Vertical crack on the tongue usually indicates the exhaustion of your body fluids specifically yin deficiency. The symptoms of a fissured tongue are cracks on top surface of the tongue. We call this purplish color dusky and it shows stagnation of some kind, either qi or blood stagnation. Most causes of a cracked tongue have distinctive and telltale symptoms, so a visual inspection followed by a medical history can accurately determine most culprits. Tongue diagnosis tongue diagnosis is part of diagnosis by looking in traditional chinese medicine tcm. Tongue diagnosis is a primary method in chinese medicine for. 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 tongue diagnosis is used all the time by acupuncturists and practitioners trained in chinese medicine. This is a common tongue when people have been sitting for too long or for women. You can also get a pulse and tongue diagnosis checkup as part of a holistic health counseling appointment. It is therefore very useful and important during inspection for confirming tcm diagnosis.
Tcm tongue diagnosis is considered a pillar of tcm diagnosis because it provides clearly visible clues to. A reddishpurple tongue body colour usually indicates blood stasis deriving from or. The stomach crack on the tongue is rather wide and it is in the central section of the tongue corresponding to middle burner. It will often be necessary to crossreference several or all of these aspects to establish a full picture. Understanding diagnostic reasoning in tcm practice. Cracks in a red tongue indicate deficient yin or heat injuring the fluids. Tongue diagnosis is a primary method in chinese medicine for understanding whats happening inside the bodyits the other mri of traditional medical systems. In downs syndrome, studies show that almost 8 out of 10 children with this chromosomal disorder have fissure tongue. A misguided study to test the reliability of traditional. Tongue the tongue is one of the major pillars of diagnosis, the other main one being the pulse. Tongue diagnosis what your tongue says about your health. According to the principles of tcm, analyzing the appearance of an individuals tongue can provide a greater understanding of his or her overall health. Pulse diagnosis and tongue diagnosis are widely used in traditional chinese medicine.
To contrast and compare the heart and stomach cracks, the former is rather narrow and runs all along the tongue from near the root to near the tip, while the latter is rather wide and is only in the middle of the tongue. 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 upper surface contains the taste buds that act as. Tongue diagnosis is an important method used in chinese medicine to understand the health of a patient. Tongue diagnosis in chinese medicine by giovanni maciocia.
The tongue body proper is going to give you information more about the yin organs, the blood organs in particular. The longer your tongue is out of your mouth, the darker it appears. Your tongue plays a unique role in understanding your bodys constitution. It is a very accurate view into the inner health of an individual. Tongue diagnosis is a practice long used in traditional chinese medicine a system of alternative medicine that originated in china. In traditional chinese medicine, its an ancient practice to read the tongue. If you find cracks that are horizontal, that almost always means yin insufficiency. The tongue is the beginning of the digestive tract, which lumbers on for another 30 feet or so. We specialize in using acupuncture, chinese herbal medicine, diet, and lifestyle changes to create health and alleviate or eliminate uncomfortable symptoms and. Taking into account swelling of the tongue body your teeth marks it confirms the yin deficiency in the spleen and accumulation of dampness. Tongue diagnosis and analysis natural health techniques. A cracked tongue is a benign condition with multiple small but furrows, fissures or grooves visible on the dorsal of the tongue. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The basics of this art can be learned in a single day or less.
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. They are based on imagination, not on anatomical and physiologic reality. Geographic tongue usually accompany cracked tongue. It can present strong visual indicators of a persons overall harmony or disharmony. Tongue diagnosis introduction tongue is generally known as the organ of taste. A physician will observe multiple characteristics of the tongue such as the tongues colour, coating and movement. 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. On rare occasions will you consult a doctor on seeing cracks on the tongue. It is considered a pillar of diagnosis because it provides clearly visible clues to a patients pattern of disease. Tongue cracks are hereditary, and rarely cause and problem. The treatment of diseases with acupuncture and chinese herbs, 2e.
It can be a strong indicator of a persons overall harmony or disharmony. Tongue diagnosis in chinese medicine the tongue has many relationships and connections in the body, both to the meridians and the internal organs. Treatment for irritation include vitamin and zinc supplements, and treatment for pain include pain revilers and antiinflammatory drugs. Tongue diagnosis is a key process used in chinese medicine and there is growing. Tongue diagnosis of traditional chinese medicine for. This method involves examination of the shape, size, color, and texture of the tongue body and coat and helps reveal the state of. It includes observing the tongue and any coating it may have. It is rare to need a biopsy to diagnose a fissured tongue. How tongue diagnosis works by transformational acupuncture. A misguided study to test the reliability of traditional chinese medicine pulse diagnosis. The tongue is totally peeled without coating and with many cracks, both signs of chronic yin deficiency.
It has a look of aliveness and is supple not stiff. There are several shapes such crack and fissure on the surface of tongue, which differ in depth and numbers. One of the principal diagnostic methods in traditional chinese medicine tcm is the inspection of the tongue. When a chinese practitioner carries our his diagnosis through tongue session, he would take notes of the following.
The diagnosis can also be made using the clinical symptoms of the tongue. Fissurescracks in the tongue movement of the tongue. In chinese medicine, each type of tongue quality relates to a chinese diagnosis, as well as particular physical and mentalemotional symptoms. Diagnosis through tongue acupuncture and chinese medicine.
Fissured tongue has been associated with geographic tongue and pustular psoriasis. In this article i am going to share with you knowledge about tongue diagnosis. The tongue occurs as painful and magenta in color, inflamed glossitis. A cracked tongue diagnosis usually requires looking at more than just the grooves and fissures and often involves inspecting your body andor mouth for other symptoms.
For a proper diagnosis, always consult an accredited tcm physician. Cracked tongues do not require any specific treatment. If you find cracks on a pale tongue, it usually means that the qi and the blood is deficient. The tongue, according to ayurveda, is a strong diagnostic tool for looking at ones systemic health. Tongue diagnosis is a practice long used in traditional chinese medicine a system. That said, there are two specific conditions that can be assessed by looking at just the tongue cracks. If the tongue body also has cracks and there is little or no tongue coat, this usually indicates deficient heat due to. In fact, im surprised when acupuncturists dont use it.
Tongue diagnosis is an important method in tcm to detect constitution like qi deficiency, yin deficiency, blood stasis, dampness, etc. Inspection and tongue study methods in tcm shen nong. What follows on this page are the various tongue body and coating appearances, how they came to look that way mechanisms and what they indicate. Most people assume it does not require treatment and that it will. Tongue assessment in traditional chinese medicine tcm. It is likely that the yin deficiency preceded the blood stasis. In this simplified guide, we have selected some major tongue characteristics for you to perform your own examination. Cracks, grooves, or clefts appear on the top and sides of the tongue. But if the tongue is pale and cracked, deficient qi or xue is present. Tongue diagnosis is an integral part of taking a medical history in chinese medicine.
There is no movement quivering, trembling, sidetoside motion, curling or shifting to one side. Cracked tongue pictures, causes, diagnosis, treatment. Chronic yin deficiency leads to emptyheat and we know in this case that the blood stasis derives from heat as the tongue is a. The pain level varies depending with the cause, you may experience some pain especially when taking spicy, acidic, salty or hot foods and beverages. The tongue reflects the health of the internal organs and blood circulation. Practical diagnosis in traditional chinese medicine, 1e. The tongue is a map of the body in chinese medicine. Pale red tongue with white glossy coating, red tongue with fissures.
These are the characteristics of a fissured tongue. 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. Pulse and tongue diagnosis is often a part of the first acupuncture appointment, and always part of our herbal consultations. Another sign of yin deficiency is a tongue with deep cracks. Now they have a bright red tongue with cracks and its peeled. Tongue diagnosis is an important part of the chinese medical assessment. Debris can sometimes get trapped in the cracks of deep grooves. Tongue apperance and mechanisms a quick guide tongue diagnosis is a powerful means by which a practitioner of chinese medicine can quickly locate the solution to many issues of internal medicine. Vitamin h deficiency mostly occurs in those taking antiseizure medications, taking longterm antibiotics and absorption difficulties such as in crohns disease. Taking into account swelling of the tongue body your teeth marks it confirms the yin deficiency in the spleen and accumulation of damp. Webmd does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Traditional chinese medicine tongue diagnosis carahealth. Tongue diagnosis is part of diagnosis by looking in traditional chinese medicine.
Changes in the tongue color usually reflect chronic illness. The secondary functions of the tongue are to help swallowing and chewing the food. Observation of the tongue, also known as tongue diagnosis, is an important procedure in tcm examination. Deep cracks on the sides indicate longterm spleen qi deficiency.
Knowledge of tongue diagnosis is one of the unique treasures of traditional chinese medicine tcm. If there is no tongue fur over the crack or fissure, the fissure belongs to pathologic changes. Chinese tongue diagnosis is an essential tool used by tcm practitioners. During an examination, the overall tongue coating, shape, and color is taken into account. Tierra, leslie tongue diagnosis american herbalists guild. The four examinations, part 2 tongue diagnosis in chinese medicine. Tongue diagnosis is a very traditional and effective method which has been used to diagnose diseases for over two thousand years. Chinese tongue diagnosis poster 18 x 24 laminated or heavy weight paper chinese tongue examination is much, much easier to master than chinese pulse examination. But once we know what the symptoms are then the tongue is useful in finding the right formula. A cracked tongue can be observed as an incidental finding during a routine dental examination.
Thorny eruptions of the buds on the tongue alert the doctor to heat or stagnant xue. Cracks in a red tongue indicate heat injuring the fluids or deficient yin. It is especially important in confirming the tcm diagnosis. A healthy tongue looks like a piece of freshly killed meat. According to tcm theory, the tongue provides a geographic map of organ systems. The deficiency extends to the tongue manifesting as cracks on the tongue. To reset the colour, just pull your tongue back into your mouth for a few moments. In some cases, the cracks may cause burning sensation while consuming specific food type or may leave you tasteless too. Observation of the tongue, also known as tongue diagnosis, is an important. Possible causes include food allergy, biting the tongue, malabsorbtion of vitamin b, colon imbalance and other factors. The four examinations, part 2 tongue diagnosis in chinese. The tongue itself usually cant tell you what formula to take. The tongue body refers to the muscular tissue of the tongue. Cracks on the tongue can be accompanied with other symptoms like pain, inflammation, itchiness or a burning sensation.
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. It is considered a pillar of diagnosis because it provides clearly visible clues to a. A peeled or cracked tongue coat indicates insufficient lining or flora in the. Diy ayurvedic tongue diagnosis john douillards lifespa. The normal tongue in traditional chinese medicine has a light red or pinkish body with a thin white coating. What your tongue says about your health eu yan sang. A normal tongue is pink in color, medium thickness, no cracks, ulcers, no teeth marks and with a light white moist coat with root on it. Given its simple and noninvasive nature, tongue diagnosis is becoming a. Tongue analysis can be used in complement with pulse, nail, and facial diagnosis in order to really see what is going on. Since the tongue always reflects the basic, underlying pattern, it is extremely reliable, especially whenever there are. For our herbalists, the tongue helps us select the proper herbal formula. In tongue diagnosis, observation of the surface of the tongue is mainly focused on. Tongue diagnosis in tcm acupuncture theory chinese medicine. The demarcations that you look for are cracks or raised areas.