If the tongue body is also moist, tender, and swollen, this can indicate yang cold. In traditional chinese medicine, its an ancient practice to read the tongue. If you find cracks that are horizontal, that almost always means yin insufficiency. Taking into account swelling of the tongue body your teeth marks it confirms the yin deficiency in the spleen and accumulation of damp. The tongue reflects the health of the internal organs and blood circulation. A fissured tongue is marked by a deep, prominent groove in the. Indicates the quality of blood, reflecting blood andor qi deficiency or cold. Many cracks on tongue fissured tongue ayurvedic diet. Traditional chinese medicine tongue diagnosis carahealth. A chief complaint is that of malodor and discoloration associated with deep fissuring of the tongue due to the bacteria and food particles that become embedded in the grooves and cracks. It is rare to need a biopsy to diagnose a fissured tongue. May 16, 2017 cracks on a red tongue surface these points to a fungal infection in the body, and is often accompanied by night sweats, sleeplessness and irritability if you like the video, give it a thumbs. Understanding diagnostic reasoning in tcm practice.
There is no movement quivering, trembling, sidetoside motion, curling or shifting to one side. However, a cracked tongueof long term duration without any other symptoms can be considered normal. The demarcations that you look for are cracks or raised areas. Cracks on the tongue with deep red color indicate excessive heat. A tongue without cracks is frequently soft and supple. A cracked tongue diagnosis usually involves looking at the tongue to see what else is occurring alongside the cracks. Quite a number of individuals suffer from this condition. Over time, chinese medicine has observed that certain parts of the tongue relate to certain parts of the body. The tongue is the beginning of the digestive tract, which lumbers on for another 30 feet or so. The four examinations, part 2 tongue diagnosis in chinese. It will often be necessary to crossreference several or all of these aspects to establish a full picture.
Read on to learn what these cracks mean, how they look in pictures, causes including vitamin deficiency plus gluten. This is a common tongue when people have been sitting for too long or for women. If you find cracks on a pale tongue, it usually means that the qi and the blood is deficient. A cracked tongue diagnosis usually requires looking at more than just the grooves and fissures and often involves inspecting your body andor mouth for other symptoms. Tcm tongue diagnosis is considered a pillar of tcm diagnosis because it provides clearly visible clues to a patients pattern of disharmony. A healthy tongue looks like a piece of freshly killed meat.
Chinese medicine diagnosis and treatment sacred lotus. 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. Changes in the tongue color usually reflect chronic illness. Discover what a tongue diagnosis of cracks on your tongue means and how to remedy a cracked tongue with ayurveda. For our herbalists, the tongue helps us select the proper herbal formula. Tongue diagnosis in tcm acupuncture theory chinese medicine. It can present strong visual indicators of a persons overall harmony or disharmony. These are the characteristics of a fissured tongue. Furthermore, some people have minor, unchanging cracks on their tongue, which are considered. The stomach crack on the tongue is rather wide and it is in the central section of the tongue corresponding to middle burner. We specialize in using acupuncture, chinese herbal medicine, diet, and lifestyle changes to create health and alleviate or eliminate uncomfortable symptoms and.
Tongue diagnosis is an integral part of taking a medical history in chinese medicine. When a chinese practitioner carries our his diagnosis through tongue session, he would take notes of the following. Observation of the tongue, also known as tongue diagnosis, is an important procedure in tcm examination. It is likely that the yin deficiency preceded the blood stasis. Integrating nextgeneration sequencing and traditional tongue. And if you find cracks on a red tongue, it usually means that theres heat. Jan 25, 2017 vertical crack on the tongue usually indicates the exhaustion of your body fluids specifically yin deficiency.
For example, coffee yellows the coating and peptobismol turns the tongue black. Fissured tongue is a benign condition affecting the top surface of the tongue. A cracked tongue is a benign condition with multiple small but furrows, fissures or grooves visible on the dorsal of the tongue. Oct 03, 2019 fissured tongue is a benign condition affecting the top surface of the tongue. A cracked pale tongue indicates insufficiency of yin and blood. The foundation of tongue diagnosis is that the tongue reflects the general state of health of the individual, and a corresponding system exists between the tongues topography and the bodys organ systems. Chronic yin deficiency leads to emptyheat and we know in this case that the blood stasis derives from heat as the tongue is a. The deficiency extends to the tongue manifesting as cracks on the tongue. In this article i am going to share with you knowledge about tongue diagnosis. The tongue occurs as painful and magenta in color, inflamed glossitis. According to tcm theory, the tongue provides a geographic map of organ systems. Tongue diagnosis tongue diagnosis is part of diagnosis by looking in traditional chinese medicine tcm.
Tongue apperance and mechanisms a quick guide tongue diagnosis is a powerful means by which a practitioner of chinese medicine can quickly locate the solution to many issues of internal medicine. Cracked tongue pictures, causes, diagnosis, treatment. Another sign of yin deficiency is a tongue with deep cracks. What your tongue says about your health eu yan sang. That said, there are two specific conditions that can be assessed by looking at just the tongue cracks. The role of tongue diagnosis not all tongue irregularities are indications of disharmony, however. Tongue diagnosis is one of the most important procedures during a tcm examination. The trapped particles may lead to inflammation and often cause discomfortburning in the patient.
Vertical crack on the tongue usually indicates the exhaustion of your body fluids specifically yin deficiency. Deep red, dry with cracked fur, heat evil burning yin. Tongue coating in the first place, the properties of tongue coating should be examined. Tongue diagnosis in chinese medicine by giovanni maciocia. This is a method for tcm physicians to understand and predict the. Cracks on a red tongue surface these points to a fungal infection in the body, and is often accompanied by night sweats, sleeplessness and irritability if you like the video, give it a thumbs. Jun 24, 2017 cracked tongue is a condition in which the top visible surface of your tongue gets cracks or fissures. A normal tongue is pink in color, medium thickness, no cracks, ulcers, no teeth marks and with a light white moist coat with root on it.
It is considered a pillar of diagnosis because it provides clearly visible clues to a patients pattern of disease. Vitamin h deficiency mostly occurs in those taking antiseizure medications, taking longterm antibiotics and absorption difficulties such as in crohns disease. Knowledge of tongue diagnosis is one of the unique treasures of traditional chinese medicine tcm. Chronic yin deficiency leads to emptyheat and we know in this case that the blood stasis derives from heat as the tongue is a reddishpurple colour. Cracks in or on your tongue is for sure a scary condition. A peeled or cracked tongue coat indicates insufficient lining or flora in the digestive system. 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.
When the tongue is examined, a number of things are taken into consideration. A misguided study to test the reliability of traditional chinese medicine pulse diagnosis. If there is no tongue fur over the crack or fissure, the fissure belongs to pathologic changes. Dec 22, 2019 the appearance of multiple small cracks all over the tongue is a clear indicator of a strong, chronic vata derangement such as high anxiety, fear, insomnia, and possibly a nervous system disorder.
Tongue diagnosis in traditional chinese medicine verywell health. These tongue cracks might go unnoticed because of their benign effects, but they change the tongue appearance. The diagnosis can also be made using the clinical symptoms of the tongue. Tcm tongue diagnosis is considered a pillar of tcm diagnosis because it provides clearly visible clues to. The tongue has many relationships and connections in the body, both to the meridians and the internal organs. Also a habit of grinding the teeth while a sleep can subject the tongue to a friction that causes cracks over a long time. In chinese medicine, each type of tongue quality relates to a chinese diagnosis, as well as particular physical and mentalemotional symptoms.
Food and drugs may change the coating or color of the body of the tongue. Tcm treats tongue appearance as an outer manifestation of the status of the human body. It has a look of aliveness and is supple not stiff. In this simplified guide, we have selected some major tongue characteristics for. But in ayurveda, cracks on your tongue tell an important story. Tongue diagnosis has been used for thousands of years in traditional chinese medicine. As you look at your tongue then, check the following regularly, note their location on the tongue, as well as any changes over time. It is especially important in confirming the tcm diagnosis. Most people dont even notice the cracks on their tongue. Subjecting your tongue to constant injuries or trauma as a result of brushing too aggressively or friction from chipped tooth can cause cracks or fissures to develop on your tongue. Therefore, it is a great diagnostic tool to understand the health of the internal organs as well as the overall health of the human body. It is therefore very useful and important during inspection for confirming tcm diagnosis. Find out what your tongue is telling you the whoot. The tongue is totally peeled without coating and with many cracks, both signs of chronic yin deficiency.
Tongue diagnosis and analysis natural health techniques. Colour of the tongue body, including red prickles or black dots coating on the tongue surface colour, thickness, dryness or moistness of the coating shape of the tongue fissures cracks in the tongue. Tongue diagnosis is a very traditional and effective method which has been used to diagnose diseases for over two thousand years. In ayurveda, one of the primary investigative tools of practitioners for determining the state of ones health is tongue diagnosis or evaluation of the tongue. The cracks, they might be congenital, otherwise they mean something has eaten up the fluids. Tongue diagnosis is a practice long used in traditional chinese medicine a system. The symptoms of a fissured tongue are cracks on top surface of the tongue.
But if the tongue is pale and cracked, deficient qi or xue is present. The diagnostic process of traditional chinese medicine tcm involves the. Cracks in on tongue, fissured,causes, vitamin deficiency. Tongue cracks are hereditary, and rarely cause and problem. Thorny eruptions of the buds on the tongue alert the doctor to heat or stagnant xue. Jun 14, 2016 the tongue is a map of the body in chinese medicine. Given its simple and noninvasive nature, tongue diagnosis is becoming a. Chinese tongue diagnosis poster 18 x 24 acupuncture. Debris can sometimes get trapped in the cracks of deep grooves. Tongue diagnosis is a practice long used in traditional chinese medicine a system of alternative medicine that originated in china. A cracked tongue can be observed as an incidental finding during a routine dental examination. Chinese tongue diagnosis poster 18 x 24 laminated or heavy weight paper chinese tongue examination is much, much easier to master than chinese pulse examination. The appearance of multiple small cracks all over the tongue is a clear indicator of a strong, chronic vata derangement such as high anxiety, fear, insomnia, and possibly a nervous system disorder. Inspection and tongue study methods in tcm shennong.
The color of the tongue body, its size, and shape, the color and thickness of the coating is. How tongue diagnosis works by transformational acupuncture. Diagnosis through tongue acupuncture and chinese medicine. Diy ayurvedic tongue diagnosis john douillards lifespa. The basics of this art can be learned in a single day or less. Tongue diagnosis is a noninvasive, simple and valuable diagnostic tool that has been repeatedly testified by clinical practitioners of traditional chinese medicine tcm for at least 3,000 years fig. The four examinations, part 2 tongue diagnosis in chinese medicine 1. Cracks, grooves, or clefts appear on the top and sides of the tongue. According to the principles of tcm, analyzing the appearance of an individuals tongue can provide a greater understanding of his or her overall health. A normal tongue is pink in color, medium thickness, has no cracks, ulcers, or teeth marks and has a light white coat on it. A normal tongue is relatively flat across its length. However, most fissures occur in the middle of the tongue. There are several shapes such crack and fissure on the surface of tongue, which differ in depth and numbers.
Tongue diagnosis in tcm acupuncture theory tcm acupuncture theory. Generally speaking, a heart crack indicates a constitutional propensity to heart patterns and to emotional problems. Treatment for irritation include vitamin and zinc supplements, and treatment for pain include pain revilers and antiinflammatory drugs. What your tongue coating is telling you the body ecology. Cracked tongue is a condition in which the top visible surface of your tongue gets cracks or fissures. Tcm practitioners 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.
If the cracks are only located on one area of the tongue, this may reveal chronic high vata in that correlating organ i. Tongue diagnosis is an ancient indian diagnosis technique in which many health issues can be diagnosed. The cracks mostly occur in the middle of the tongue and they may come in various sizessmall and largebig. A central short crack in the middle of the tongue often indicates stomach yin. In tcm, the tongue is known as an internal organ that you can see from the outside. They are based on imagination, not on anatomical and physiologic reality.
Colour of the tongue body, including red prickles or black dots coating on the tongue surface colour, thickness, dryness or moistness of the coating shape of the tongue fissurescracks in the tongue. Identification of the patterns, symptoms, and treatment of disease through tongue diagnosis, pulse diagnosis, ba gong, 4 levels, 6 stages, qi, blood, fluids, san jiao. Sep 06, 2018 the symptoms of a fissured tongue are cracks on top surface of the tongue. If the tongue body also has cracks and there is little or no tongue coat, this usually indicates deficient heat due to internal injury. Mar 25, 2016 a cracked tongue diagnosis usually involves looking at the tongue to see what else is occurring alongside the cracks. The tongue is a map of the body in chinese medicine. We call this purplish color dusky and it shows stagnation of some kind, either qi or blood stagnation. For thousands of years, tongue diagnosis has played an indispensable role in the practice of ayurveda and traditional chinese medicine tcm.
What follows on this page are the various tongue body and coating appearances, how they came to look that way mechanisms and what they indicate. Pulse diagnosis and tongue diagnosis are widely used in traditional chinese medicine. Tongue diagnosis is a primary method in chinese medicine for understanding whats happening inside the bodyits the other mri of traditional medical systems. Tongue diagnosis gillian mckeith healthy eating, weight. Feb 03, 2014 we specialize in using acupuncture, chinese herbal medicine, diet, and lifestyle changes to create health and alleviate or eliminate uncomfortable symptoms and conditions. 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. Tongue assessment in traditional chinese medicine tcm. In this simplified guide, we have selected some major tongue characteristics for you to perform your own examination. Possible causes include food allergy, biting the tongue, malabsorbtion of vitamin b, colon imbalance and other factors. The fissures or grooves vary in sizes and can either be deep or shallow and may be as deep as six millimeters. Geographic tongue usually accompany cracked tongue. The tongue has a special relationship with the heart, in that. Since the tongue always reflects the basic, underlying pattern, it is extremely reliable, especially whenever there are.