What Your Tongue Says About Your Health, according to the Traditional Chinese Medicine
| Back in 2006, Mom and I took an amazing trip to China. It was a Bellingham Chamber of Commerce Program, when they offered group trips to locations around the world. I think in all about 60 people was in the group. This trip was exceptional, all expenses where covered including the flights, hotels and meals for around $1200. Those where the days! We toured all over, and one place I especially remember was the Tiananmen Square. As we walked down the square the tour guide took us to a building right off the side, and it looked very military, but it as a pharmacy! We went upstairs and they gave us hot tea, and we sat in a room that reminded me of high school. The chairs where with a little table attached to it and all lined up in a row facing the chalk board in the front. In about 15 minutes, a bunch of doctors walked in a single line to the front of the room with an assistant by each doctor, caring a clipboard and a small little stool. After a brief introduction, each doctor and assist found their place next to each one of us. The tea must have been a pre-courser to the ability to diagnosis our tongues, I am not sure, but each one of us stuck our tongues out, and they wrote things down, discussed and the assist also was a translator, would ask us questions. The doctor assigned to me said I had a bad stomach, and was right on with my issues. It was really interesting as everyone felt like they where right on with what they where saying, and diagnosing with so many of the group, just by reading our tongues! So when I saw this tongue chart, I thought it was incredible to share! Of course, we could not take photos during this part of the trip, process, which is a shame, I would have loved to. Thousands of years ago, Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners didn’t have the benefit of modern technology that allows us to peer inside the body. So in order to identify what type of imbalance a patient had, they devised other ingenious strategies, like looking at the tongue, feeling the pulse, examining the facial complexion and inquiring about symptoms. Based on those diagnostic tools, they would recommend a personalized diet, specific herbs, lifestyle practices and often perform a treatment, such as acupuncture. Here’s a deeper look at Tongue Diagnosis. Ancient Chinese medicine is a traditional system of medicine that has been practiced in China for thousands of years. It is based on the concept of Qi (pronounced “chee”), which is the vital energy that flows through the body and maintains health and wellbeing. Chinese medicine uses various techniques to diagnose and treat illnesses, including herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage, and dietary therapy. One of the unique features of Chinese medicine is the practice of tongue diagnosis. In this approach, the tongue is examined to reveal information about the health of the body. The tongue is considered a map of the body, and different areas of the tongue correspond to different organs and systems. A skilled practitioner can look at the shape, color, coating, and texture of the tongue to determine the state of the body’s organs and systems. For example, a thick yellow coating on the tongue may indicate a problem with the digestive system, while a thin white coating may indicate a problem with the respiratory system. In addition to tongue diagnosis, Chinese medicine practitioners also use other diagnostic tools, such as pulse diagnosis and observation of the patient’s overall appearance and behavior. By combining these various techniques, a practitioner can develop a comprehensive understanding of the patient’s health and develop an individualized treatment plan to address their specific needs. NOTE: Image from thehealthinstitute.com, great resource check them out! Here is a podcast by Dr. Josh Axe and Dr. Chris Motley I hope you enjoy! https://www.spreaker.com/user/drjoshaxe/110122-dr-motley?inf_contact_key=8aa158fae42330fa092ff6b471dc45accc0558ed5d4c28cbfab114022b1ec50d |
