Arriving At A Diagnosis in Chinese Medicine

The observation step accesses the patient's skin, eyes, tongue, nails and also how the patient walks (and overall physical appearance), the openness the patient exhibits (or not), and the overall emotional demeanor of the patient. The observation phase of the diagnostic step starts as soon as the practitioner first lays eyes on the patient.

Chinese Alternative Medicine

There are four main steps taken when arriving at a diagnosis when practicing Chinese medicine. The four steps are observation, listening & Smelling, Questioning, and Palpation. All of these steps give the practitioner clues as to how the patient's life force is doing.

The observation step accesses the patient's skin, eyes, tongue, nails and also how the patient walks (and overall physical appearance), the openness the patient exhibits (or not), and the overall emotional demeanor of the patient. The observation phase of the diagnostic step starts as soon as the practitioner first lays eyes on the patient. There are 4 areas that are being assessed in order to determine how serious the condition is that brought the patient to be seen. The 4 areas are: Vitality, body appearance, facial features and the appearance of the tongue. The vitality encompasses the color, complexion and luster of the skin, the appearance of the face, the flow of the face, the state of the blood and qi. The color is important because black eye circles may indicate kidney weakness, red coloring is linked to the heart and blue or black coloring is also linked to the kidneys and blue-green indicates possible liver involvement and white suggests a lung problem. The body's appearance includes type of build, presence of fat, and also body hair. Facial features include expressions of being happy, sad, or anxious. The tongue's appearance is key to the diagnostic procedure and the color, shape, any coating, and texture of the tongue is noted.

The listening and smelling step focuses mainly on the sound of the patient's voice and any breathing sounds being made by the patient. An assessment is also made to determine if there are any breath or body odors.

The questioning step is the information gathering stage for all present and past complaints, especially about eating habits, digestion, bowel and bladder habits, the presence of sweat, or pain and a determination of how well the patient has been sleeping, the family health history, work history, and any daily habits are discussed as well as any physical environmental aspects that may influence the individual as well as the patient's emotional health.

Chinese Healing Herbs The components of Traditional Chinese Medicine When you hear the words Chinese medicine, most people will think of acupuncture. Chinese medicine is so much more than acupuncture. The major components of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is the clinical diagnostics that go into discovering the causes of disharmony within the body and herbal medicine which is a therapy used by Chinese practitioners to treat certain illnesses and conditions and is also used as a preventative or strengthener. Soul Mind Body Medicine: A Complete Soul Healing System for Optimum Health and Vitality

The last step, palpation involves touching the patient's body so that a temperature can be taken, the presence of moisture is noted, any pain or sensitivity is also assessed as well as the pulse is taken. The pulse tells a lot about the patient's condition and is important to the diagnostic procedure. The Chinese practitioner places 3 fingers on each wrist to measure a total of 12 pulses. Each of the 12 pulses corresponds to a meridian. There are 14 different pulse characteristics. These characteristics are: empty, full, rapid and slow. The pulse is used to determine which organ is involved in the illness or imbalance.

After the diagnosis, treatments are used to adjust or to restore the yin/yang balance within the body. Usually there are more than one therapy prescribed. The therapies include: acupuncture, acupressure, food therapy, exercise, and herbal therapy. The choice of therapy is directly related to the diagnosis and the findings during the diagnostic procedure.

World News About Chinese Medicine

08/29/2008
Soft-Shell Turtles Adulteration Process Exposed (The Epoch Times)
A posting on a mainland China BBS entitled, “The shocking adulteration of soft-shell turtles” by a Web user with the username, “The Third Grader” exposed the process of injecting water into the creatures and attracted more than 200,000 on-line responses.

Soft-Shell Turtles Adulteration Process Exposed (The Epoch Times)

08/29/2008
The hardest working pill on the market (Canada.com)
For the past decade, erectile dysfunction drugs such as Viagra and Cialis have sent men marching into bedrooms all over the world with renewed confidence and vigour.

The hardest working pill on the market (Canada.com)

08/26/2008
Study Shows Traditional Chinese Medicine of Qigong Therapy as a Potential Complementary Treatment for Patients ... (Newswise)
Qigong therapy, a form of traditional Chinese medical practice, appears to be a potential complementary treatment for osteoarthritis dependent upon the capability of the healer.

Study Shows Traditional Chinese Medicine of Qigong Therapy as a Potential Complementary Treatment for Patients ... (Newswise)

08/27/2008
TCM faces homegrown challenges (China Daily)
As traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) gains credibility in the West, the practice of this nearly 5,000-year-old medical system has been faced with major challenges in the country of its origin.

TCM faces homegrown challenges (China Daily)

08/26/2008
Study Shows Traditional Chinese Medicine of Qigong Therapy as a Potential Complementary Treatment for Patients ... (Newswise)
Qigong therapy, a form of traditional Chinese medical practice, appears to be a potential complementary treatment for osteoarthritis dependent upon the capability of the healer.

Study Shows Traditional Chinese Medicine of Qigong Therapy as a Potential Complementary Treatment for Patients ... (Newswise)

08/27/2008
TCM faces homegrown challenges (China Daily)
As traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) gains credibility in the West, the practice of this nearly 5,000-year-old medical system has been faced with major challenges in the country of its origin.

TCM faces homegrown challenges (China Daily)

08/28/2008
Study Shows Traditional Chinese Medicine Of Qigong Therapy As A Potential Complementary Treatment For Patients ... (Medical News Today)
Qigong therapy, a form of traditional Chinese medical practice, appears to be a potential complementary treatment for osteoarthritis dependent upon the capability of the healer, according to a study conducted at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey by Kevin Chen, PhD, MPH, and Dr. Adam Perlman, MPH, FACP.

Study Shows Traditional Chinese Medicine Of Qigong Therapy As A Potential Complementary Treatment For Patients ... (Medical News Today)

08/25/2008
Confucious Institute spreads message of Chinese medicine (The Oklahoma Daily)
The first of two Confucius Institute seminars on traditional Chinese medicine ended Saturday with six needles sticking out of a student’s head.

Confucious Institute spreads message of Chinese medicine (The Oklahoma Daily)