Did you know that the tongue is like a road map for your health? Tongue Diagnosis is an essential part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) assessment and evaluation. This is why you’ll often hear your Acupuncturist ask you to…well, “stick out your tongue”.
Ok, wait, can you back up? In TCM, we look at the whole person. This means that all body systems are relevant for a specialized diagnosis: body temperature, appetite, digestion, hydration, blood circulation, body aches and pains, sleep patterns, elimination patterns, menstrual history, vision, hearing, emotional habits, energy levels, and so much more.
Complete review of systems is the way that TCM differentiates individual patterns to provide the most precise diagnosis and very specific treatment protocol. Once an individual's pattern has been identified with a review of systems, a pulse reading and quick look at the tongue verifies these findings. Because the tongue is the only internal organ we can actually see, the conditions of the interior may be observed (what us Acupuncturists call: hot/cold, wet/dry, excess/deficiency). Examining the shape, size, color, and texture of the tongue and coat helps reveal the state of organ functions and progression of any underlying imbalances or conditions.
Each area of the tongue corresponds to the internal organ themselves (think: Heart, Lungs, Kidneys/Bladder/Intestines, Spleen/Stomach, and Liver/Gallbladder), as well as the meridians where your energy (Qi) flows through. The organs govern a section of the tongue similar to how they are sectioned in the body. Imagine your tongue… the organs in the upper body represent the tip of your tongue, the organs in the digestive center represent the middle of the tongue…and so forth.
So, what is my tongue trying to tell me? No two tongues are exactly the same, and everyone’s tongue can be a mixture of different features or patterns of their diagnosis. Characteristics we look at include:
Shape - small, thin, long, swollen, puffy, pointed, stiff?
Color - pale, red, purple, grey?
Texture - dry, rough, tender, wet, oily?
Body - cracks, peeled, spots?
Coating - thick, thin, sticky?
Looking at these different characteristics help us determine a patient’s Tongue Dx. Someone with a “damp heat” diagnosis would most likely have a swollen and red tongue with a yellow-greasy coating. Damp heat is typical if someone experiences IBS/IBD, acne, or UTIs, for example. Those who tend to worry or struggle with low energy, poor appetite, or bloating/gas, are typically diagnosed with a “Qi deficiency”. These patients would have a pale tongue with thin white coating, teeth marks, and spotting.
Find out what your tongue is trying to tell you! Book an appointment with one of our Acupuncturists today by calling 414-367-7023.
References:
Dyer, Lauren. “What does your tongue say about your health?”. Retrieved from https://empowerchiroacu.com/empowered-living-blog/what-your-tongue-reveals-about-your-health.
“Tint Condition”. Retrieved from https://www.thomsonmedical.com/article/tint-condition/.