Tongue diagnosis is a primary method in chinese medicine for understanding whats happening inside the bodyits the other mri of traditional medical systems. A tongue without cracks is frequently soft and supple. Oct 24, 2016 tongue diagnosis is an important diagnostic tool in traditional chinese medicine tcm. A central short crack in the middle of the tongue often indicates stomach yin deficiency fig. We are not looking at it to show the quality of your dental hygiene. A peeled or cracked tongue coat indicates insufficient lining or flora in the digestive system. If the crack runs from center of the tongue to the tip there is likely a heart disorder or congenital heart problems. The tongue has a special relationship with the heart, in that the heart opens to the tongue. In chinese medicine, each type of tongue quality relates to a chinese diagnosis, as well as particular physical and mentalemotional symptoms. And it should have an even, slightly moist, thin, white coat. The tongue will be a healthy red color when this organ is in balance. The tongue body refers to the muscular tissue of the tongue. Tongue coating a coating on the tongue can also give your practitioner information about your health.
By examining the face, the body, and the tongue, a practitioner can recognize signs and symptoms that indicate illness. One of the principal diagnostic methods in traditional chinese medicine tcm is the inspection of the tongue. The central crack in the tongue indicates prana flow through the heart or spine. It can show the condition of your body, organs, progress of a disorder and your tongue will show the depth and nature hot, cold, etc. Oct 03, 2019 fissured tongue is a benign condition affecting the top surface of the tongue. Tongue diagnosis is an important method used in chinese medicine to understand the. Tongue diagnosis is an important diagnostic tool in traditional chinese medicine tcm. Another sign of stomachyin deficiency is a stomach crack or cracks on the tongue. Possible causes include food allergy, biting the tongue, malabsorbtion of vitamin b, colon imbalance and other factors. The heart crack on the tongue is relatively common. A thick tongue coating can indicate dampness in the system.
Cracks travelling to the tip will point to heart yin deficiency. One of the things that made me fall in love with chinese medicine was its beautifully poetic way of explaining the world, our universe, the human body and the nature of disease. Tongue cracks are hereditary, and rarely cause and problem. If, in the presence of a heart crack, the tongue tip is red, it indicates that there already is a heart pattern usually from emotional problems. In other words, a change in colour of the tongue body indicates that that particular constitutional tendency to heart patterns has manifested itself and generated an actual heart. Vitamin h deficiency mostly occurs in those taking antiseizure medications, taking longterm antibiotics and absorption difficulties such as in crohns disease. Some signs of it are indigestion, bloating, constipation or diarrhea, abdominal pain, heaviness etc.
But in ayurveda, cracks on your tongue tell an important story. If you find cracks on a pale tongue, it usually means that the qi and the blood is deficient. Tongue diagnosis is a very traditional and effective method which has been used to diagnose diseases for over two thousand years. 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.
Tcm tongue diagnosis is considered a pillar of tcm diagnosis because it provides clearly visible clues to a patients pattern of disharmony. The tip of the tongue corresponds to conditions of the heart and lung. The tongue is a map of the body in chinese medicine. A fissured tongue is marked by a deep, prominent groove in the. Most cracks are located on the midline of the tongue, which represents the spinal column. Both substances are used to mature the tongue s papillae and lacking in one or both can result in large, smooth patches developing on the tongue. At times, debris trapped inside the fissures cause irritation. Transverse cracks or cracks on the sides has to do with spleen challenges. For more about the chinese theory of sleep, click insomnia. The small patch without coating indicates the beginning of stomachyin deficiency. Quite a number of individuals suffer from this condition. A cracked tongue diagnosis usually involves looking at the tongue to see what else is occurring alongside the cracks. Tongue diagnosis is part of diagnosis by looking in traditional chinese medicine tcm.
If the tongue is also deep red, this may indicate heart fire. The 5 organs network of chinese medicine was written by heiner fruehaf, ph. If the tongue is pale and cracked, there is deficient qi or xue. Treatment cannot begin until observation using sight has been made and other methods of diagnosis have been employed. The above possible fissured tongue causes however remain unsubstantiated. Taking into account swelling of the tongue body your teeth marks it confirms the yin deficiency in the spleen and accumulation of damp. Teeth marks i see this often mean spleen deficiency. Shape of the tongue fissures cracks in the tongue movement of the tongue.
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. The red tip indicates heart fire and the swelling of the tip and its curling up confirm and reinforce this diagnosis. Back shu point of the heart, warms and tonifies heart yang. If the center crack goes to the tip of the tongue it also involves the heart.
A normal tongue coating is thin and white figure 3. In tongue diagnosis how and if the tongue moves also has meaning, as also its shape, colour, coating and how moist or dry it is. The heart organ represents a group of physiological functions. Many organs are associated with key areas of the tongue. Discover what a tongue diagnosis of cracks on your tongue means and how to remedy a cracked tongue with ayurveda. In addition to regulating the cardiovascular system, it is responsible for maintaining the nervous systems functions.
Feb 02, 2009 the heart crack on the tongue is relatively common. Cracks in a red tongue indicate deficient yin or heat injuring the fluids. Jan 25, 2017 vertical crack on the tongue usually indicates the exhaustion of your body fluids specifically yin deficiency. Traditional chinese medicine diagnosis study guide. Cracks anywhere suggest yin deficiency in the related zangfu. The deeper the crack the longer the disease, imbalance or stronger the genetic weakness or tendency. A reddishpurple tongue indicates heat and blood stagnation.
This is the fifth and final post on the series of the main tcm organs. This method involves examination of the shape, size, color, and texture of the tongue body and coat and helps reveal the state of. In other words, a change in colour of the tongue body indicates that that particular constitutional tendency to heart patterns has manifested itself and generated an actual heart pattern. Connections to the tongue channelsmeridians reaching the tongue. Although if you are at the high stage it may be hard to get to sleep in the first place, people with heart fire tend more to keep waking up, often from dreams. It includes observing the tongue and any coating it may have. Doctor of traditional chinese medicine vancouver area. Tongue assessment in traditional chinese medicine tcm.
Mouth and tongue ulcers heart heat affecting the heart. Vertical crack on the tongue usually indicates the exhaustion of your body fluids specifically yin deficiency. In traditional chinese medicine, its an ancient practice to read the tongue. Jun 24, 2017 signs and symptoms of a cracked tongue identifying a cracked tongue. Examining your tongue can tell you everything about your organs and the state of your health. Did you know that your tongue can serve as a window to your health. Tongue diagnosis is one of the four pillars of examination in traditional chinese medicine, and reveals to the practitioner a basic guide of where disharmony is present. Typically, the tongue is swollen in this state and the pressure causes cracking. The presence of the heart crack indicates that this patient had a constitutional tendency to heart patterns and to emotional problems.
In tcm, both the tongue and face are windows for the heart and blood. Nov 17, 2015 giovanni maciocia is a worldrenowned expert and practitioner of chinese medicine. If the crack extends to the tongue tip shows a congenital born with heart weakness. When the patient can not show the entire tongue, it usually indicates a more severe disease. It should be supple, soft and flexible, even shaped and it should have no cracks. Cracks on the edges of the tongue reveal that the digestive fire agni is impaired. If there is insufficient blood in the heart, the tongue may appear pale.
The use of sight in traditional chinese medicine diagnosis is crucial. Ben miller works in oriental medicine and can tell you whats ailing you by diagnosing your tongue. This crack is in the midline extending from near the root to near the tip. Taking into account swelling of the tongue body your teeth marks it confirms the yin deficiency in the spleen and accumulation of dampness. Ben miller can tell you whats wrong with you by looking at your tongue. Traditional chinese medicine tongue diagnosis carahealth. The tongue coating fur refers to a layer of moss over the tongue surface, which is produced by the stomach qi. A heart crack is rather thin and long, extending from near the root of the tongue to near the tip. Observation of the tongue, also known as tongue diagnosis, is an important procedure in tcm examination. Tongue diagnosis is a practice long used in traditional chinese medicine a system of alternative medicine that originated in china.
A crack in the midline with small cracks branching from it often shows kidney yin deficiency. Treatment for irritation include vitamin and zinc supplements, and treatment for pain include pain revilers and antiinflammatory drugs. If the heart crack is accompanied by a change in the tonguebody colour and a. Chinese tongue diagnosis is an essential tool used by tcm practitioners. This may sound strange to those of us who were raised in a western society that only looks at blood work, but youd be surprised at all your tongue can tell you. A raw tongue, that looks like a slab of raw meat, and is dark red in color, is generally a sign of advanced consumption, deficiency heat, and a severe depletion of the vital fluids. The tongues relationship to the internal organs over time, chinese medicine has observed that certain parts of the tongue relate to certain parts of the body. If wide and not deep it points to stomach yin deficiency usually.
Tongue map the very tip of the tongue thats said to be the heart. Heart from a tcm perspective in tcm, the functions of the heart are different from those of the anatomical heart, as it is understood in western medicine. Tongue diagnosis in chinese medicine by giovanni maciocia. By observing the tongue and looking for the heart s brilliance to be manifested in the face, a lot can be learned about how the heart is functioning. The thickness of a coating is an indicator of the severity of the condition being treated. If there are sensations of a burning tongue, or pain due to canker sores in the mouth, or you are often irritable, look for a crimson red tongue or tongue tip with reddish prickles. The deficiency extends to the tongue manifesting as cracks on the tongue. The 5 organs network of chinese medicine is a comprehensive overview of this fundamental element of chinese medicine. A naturopathic practitioner, alyse shockey, rdh, advises patients regarding the status of the color, shape, thickness, and coating of the tongue with. If it reaches to the tip from the back, it points to heart energy problems, probably from intense.
When we look at your tongue, it tells us a lot about your health. In this article i am going to share with you knowledge about tongue diagnosis. These indications are always a part of a larger diagnostic picture and are rarely definitive as standalone indications of a specific imbalance. The mouth offers a plethora of diagnostic information for the chinese medical doctor. Tongue diagnosis and analysis natural health techniques. For our herbalists, the tongue helps us select the proper herbal formula.
The deeper the crack, the more chronic the condition of the tongue. This may sound strange to those of us who were raised in a western. A flabby tongue body with teeth marks on the margin and pale in color indicates a yang deficiency of the spleen and kidney leading to accumulation and obstruction of phlegmdampness. The heart crack indicates the constitutional tendency to mentalemotional problems.
The ground will become extremely dry and start to crack. The four examinations, part 2 tongue diagnosis in chinese. In this blog, i will cover the basics of tongue diagnosis. You may feel hot at night, or notice dryness in your skin or eyes. Most common is the longitudinal midline crack running up the centre or the tongue from back to front. The red tip indicates heartfire and the swelling of the tip and its curling up confirm and reinforce this diagnosis. Cracked tongue from a vitamin deficiency takes two main forms. The tongue is believed to be linked to the heart, bladder, liver. Principles of tongue diagnosis observing and interpreting the signs offered by the tongue is one of the more important diagnostic tools in chinese medicine. As the condition becomes more chronic a crack appears in the midline of the tongue, extending towards the tip. This means that there is a major emotional cause of whatever the rest of the tongue indicates as disease. However, stomach cracks may indicate a constitutional tendency to stomachyin deficiency rather than the actual pathology. Use of sight in traditional chinese medicine diagnosis.
It is considered a pillar of diagnosis because it provides clearly visible. Tongue diagnosis is an integral part of taking a medical history in chinese medicine. Many cracks on tongue fissured tongue ayurvedic diet. Tongue abnormalities and what they mean tongue coating and location. Stick out your tongue tongue diagnosis in tcm petersen. The heart opens into the tongue because they are connected. If the tongue is normal in color or pale, this may indicate heart qi deficiency. What your tongue can say about your health organic olivia. Crack in the middle of the tongue and some more cracks coming out from it. Nov 20, 2017 what your tongue says about your health natural cures. You might be self conscious of this, you do not need to be.
According to tcm theory, the tongue provides a geographic map of organ systems. In the classical science of chinese medicine, detailed knowledge of the dynamics and interrelationship of the five organ networks is considered the. Integrative medicine practitioners do link the tongue to other areas of the body such as the liver, heart, bladder, spleen, and intestines. As the condition worsens, the pulse may be not merely rapid by stop at irregular intervals hasty. According to the principles of tcm, analyzing the appearance of an individuals tongue can provide a greater understanding of his or her overall health. The normal tongue in tcm has a light red or pinkish body with a thin white coating. Fissured tongue has been associated with geographic tongue and pustular psoriasis.
Generally speaking, a heart crack indicates a constitutional propensity to heart patterns and to emotional problems. The heart xin and pericardium or heart protector xinbao are the organs of the fire element and are clinically treated as a unit although in theory they are two separate organs. A cracked tongue is generally a sign of chronic nervous stress and tension. If there is blood stagnation, the tongue will reflect this with a dark purple color. The body is experiencing dehydration and longterm adrenal stress. Thorny eruptions of the buds on the tongue alert the doctor to heat or stagnant xue. The treatment of diseases with acupuncture and chinese herbs, 2e.
Sometimes the cracks are found randomly and may occur at the side edges of the tongue. Geographic tongue usually accompany cracked tongue. Cracked tongue pictures, causes, diagnosis, treatment. A normal tongue should be pale red they say the color of fresh meat. Deep cracks on the sides indicate longterm spleen qi deficiency.
A cracked tongue is a benign condition with multiple small but furrows, fissures or grooves visible on the dorsal of the tongue. Your tongue plays a unique role in understanding your bodys constitution. The stomach crack on the tongue is rather wide and it is in the central section of the tongue corresponding to middle burner. Tongue diagnosis is a practice long used in traditional chinese medicine a system of.
The sides of the tongue show the liver and gallbladder but where the sides curl forwards to the tip represents the chest area, including a womans breasts, the heart and the lungs. Normal color, pale color in severe cases midline crack to tip with swollen sides in severe cases of heart qi deficiency. This method involves examination of the shape, size, color, and texture of the tongue body and coat and helps reveal the state of organ functions and progression of conditions. If the tongue has any sort of coating on it, this is a very clear indication of toxic buildup in the system and poor overall digestion. The most common area where coating is typically found is on the back of the tongue, revealing that the toxic buildup is in the colon area. Cracked tongue, also referred to as fissured tongue is common according to medical practitioners during diagnosis. In any case, when i see such cracks i nourish stomachyin. Cracks on the tongue coating can indicate that your nourishing fluids are burned out, just like the earth cracks when it becomes dry. A crack in the centre of the tongue can indicate that this is happening in the stomach.
Hiv, traditional chinese medicine, tongue, acupuncture. The heart, according to chinese medicine, is the king of all organs. Atlas of chinese tongue diagnosis 2nd edition atlas of chinese tongue diagnosis, volume 2. And if you find cracks on a red tongue, it usually means that theres heat either excess heat thats burned up the tongue or theres insufficiency of yin, usually stomach yin. The tongue occurs as painful and magenta in color, inflamed glossitis. Qibloodbody fluids patterns zang fu patterns learn with flashcards, games, and more for free. Most people dont even notice the cracks on their tongue. When you get acupuncture, your acupuncturist will look at your tongue. Knowledge of tongue diagnosis is one of the unique treasures of traditional chinese medicine tcm.
Heart from a tcm perspective traditional chinese medicine. Cracked tongue is a benign problem that does not require any specific treatment or cure. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. A normal tongue is relatively flat across its length. A crack in the center of tongue means that the stomach is injured likely because of a vata imbalance. When the very tip of the tongue is swollen, it usually indicates heart problems. Symptoms of possible heart disease in chinese medicine include vertical creases on earlobes, horizontal crease across the bridge of the nose, a deep central crack on the tongue, especially when it extends to the tip of the tongue, a red tipped tongue. The tongue is said to be an offshoot of the heart, or flowers into the heart. Transverse cracks behind the tip indicate lung weakness. 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.
Giovanni maciocia is a worldrenowned expert and practitioner of chinese medicine. This suggests overabundance of pathogenic heat in the body, which could be due to. Tongue abnormalities and what they mean svasthaayurveda. In fact you will mostly only notice signs of a cracked tongue during your regular dental checkup. Practical diagnosis in traditional chinese medicine, 1e. The normal tongue in traditional chinese medicine has a light red or pinkish body with a thin white coating. These cracks or fissures are found only on the tongue and not in any other oral parts. The heart is too hot to let the shen, the mind, settle and remain quiet while asleep. Dampness can be likened to sludge, and often times may indicates issues with digestion. Positive health online article show me your tongue. Cracks or lines down the center of the tongue also indicate a potential heart function issue. Brushing the top surface of the tongue removes such debris and the irritation. A tongue with purplish spots or petechiae also indicates blood stagnation.
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