The Theory behind Tongue Diagnosis
Traditional Chinese Practitioners and Ayurvedic Practitioners (an Indian form of medicine) have observed the tongue over thousands of years and used it as a tool to diagnose complaints.
TCM practitioners rely on tongue diagnosis to differentiate one syndrome from another, and use variations in the tongue’s colour, texture, shape and coating to evaluate a patient’s condition.
Many studies are now being undertaken to assess the accuracy and usefulness of this method. A study undertaken in 1987 by the Chinese-language Journal of Oncology examined over 12,000 tongues. It showed that patients had ‘significant changes’ in their tongues in relation to having Cancer as apposed to those studied who did not have cancer.
So what does it all mean
Tongue diagnosis can take years to perfect but there are some changes that you can look for that will help you understand a bit more about how your body’s working.
A practitioner uses tongue diagnosis as a tool and it would form part of their overall diagnosis of a patient, it would never be used in isolation. Here are some of the characteristics a practitioner would be looking for……
A ‘normal’ tongue should be smooth, supple and slightly moist and should fit you mouth. It should look a nice healthy pink colour and should have a transparent thin white coating.
What does it mean if I have a crack down the middle of my tongue?
This can mean that you have poor digestive functioning and poor absorption of nutriets. Often patients with a deep crack down the middle of their tongue suffer from tiredness.
What does it mean if I have a sore and inflammed tongue?
A sore tongue is often indicative of a nutrient deficiency such as Vitamin B12, Iron, Vitamin B6 and Niacin.
What does it mean if I have teeth marks around side of tongue?
This often indicates a Spleen deficiency and can also indicate nutrient deficiencies. Often a patient with teeth marks doesn’t assimilate nutrients well and their digestion is often weak.
What if my tongue is burning?
This often means that there is too much heat in the digestive system. Patients with a burning tongue often suffer from digestive upset and stomach acid.
What if I have a swollen tongue or thick white coating?
This can mean that you have too much mucus (or damp) in your body. You may also be suffering with an imbalance in your gut flora and could have an overgrowth of yeast.
What if the tip of my tongue is red?
The tip of the tongue corresponds to the heart and if the tip is red then this often shows emotional upset and/ or stress.
For information on how you can help resolve the imbalances that your tongue has shown up take a look at our next post.
If you have any other questions about tongue diagnosis then do get in touch – enquiries@foremanandjones.co.uk
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