What To Expect

The diagnosis of a patient’s condition as it relates to Traditional Chinese Medicine consists of three activities: an extensive interview, pulse diagnosis, and a tongue examination.

Interview:
The first step in diagnosing a patient’s condition is an extensive interview by the TCM practitioner. In addition to seeking information about the patient’s complaints, the practitioner will ask detailed questions about such issues as quality of sleep, dreams, appetite, preferred foods, and stress.

Pulse Diagnosis:
Whereas Western doctors locate one pulse on the radial artery in the wrist, a practitioner of TCM feels for six pulses in each wrist: three superficial and three deep at specific points along the radial artery. The twelve pulses correspond to the internal organs.  Pulse taking is considered one of the most important diagnostic tools in Chinese medicine.

Tongue Examination:
In addition to the pulse, the Chinese believe that the tongue is a strong barometer of human health. They developed an elaborate system to describe the condition of the tongue, including the color, texture, shape, size, and coating.

All three diagnostic techniques -- interview, pulse, and tongue -- provide useful information to the TCM practitioner regarding the nature of a patient’s condition.