Methods of diagnosis in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

There are several tools that the TCM practitioner uses to gather information about the patient.  One of these is called tongue diagnosis.  The tongue is like a window into how the internal organs are functioning.   We observe the colour of the tongue body as well as the colour of the tongue coating.  We also look to see where the coating may be missing, or how thick it is.   We are looking at surface features of the tongue like shape, whether there are cracks, if there are teethmarks, or dark red dots on it.  Each position on the tongue corresponds to an internal organ and so where these features are on the tongue tells the practitioner which organ is affected. 

Pulse diagnosis is another important but mysterious tool for diagnosis.  There are three positions on each wrist that are felt and each position corresponds to an internal organ.  The practitioner is feeling the shape of the pulse not only the relative speed.  Each position is felt at 3 depths of pressure and there are 29 different shapes that can be felt in each position. 

Although tongue and pulse diagnosis can yield much information, the symptoms that the patient reports are still the most important. 

The TCM practitioner is also observing the patient very closely.  A skilled practitioner can determine a great deal about a patients condition just as they walk in the door.  For example, a person walks in the door and they have a red face.  Already, the practitioner will know that this person has Heat in the body, or high blood pressure or perhaps both. (Heat is a specific idea in TCM).  As another example, a young woman walk in but lack Shen in the eyes.  The practitioner knows immediately that this person may have a mental condition.  (Shen is a specific idea in TCM and indicates life or spirit).

The practitioner is also on the lookout for unusual sounds or smells.  For example, a patient present with very bad breath.  The practitioner will know that the patient has Heat in the Stomach.  Or as another example, the sound of a dry cough is very different from a phlegm cough and the practitioner will treat each type of cough accordingly.