Chinese Diagnosis

When you are sick, Qi circulation is irregular or abnormal. It has too much Yin or too much Yang. Because all Qi channels are connected to the surface of the body, stagnant or abnormal Qi flow will cause signs to show on the skin. Also, when you are sick, the sounds you make when speaking, coughing, or breathing are different than when you are healthy Therefore, Chinese doctors examine a patient's skin, particularly the forehead, eyes, ears, and tongue. They also pay close attention to the person's sounds. In addition, they ask a number of questions about daily habits, hobbies, and feelings to understand the background of the illness. Finally, the doctor feels the pulses and probes special spots on the body to further check the condition of specific channels. Thus, Chinese diagnosis is divided into four principal categories: 1. Looking (Wang Zhen, ); 2. Listening and Smelling (Wen Zhen, H ); 3. Asking (Wen Zhen, r-1^); and 4. Palpation (Qie Zhen, to«- ).

Obviously, Chinese medicine takes a somewhat different approach to diagnosis than Western medicine. Chinese doctors treat the body as a whole, analyzing the cause of the illness from the patient's appearance and behavior. Often what the Chinese physician considers important clues or causes are viewed by the Western doctor as symptomatic or irrelevant, and vice versa.

Next, we will briefly discuss the above four Chinese diagnostic techniques:

The doctor looks at the spirit and inspects the color of the patient.

General Appearance. The doctor examines the facial expression, muscle tone, posture, and general spirit of the patient.

Skin Color. The doctor examines the skin color of the injured area, if the problem is externally visible, like a bruise or pulled muscle. The doctor also examines the skin color of the face (Figure 4-1). Since some channels are connected to the face, its color reveals what organs are disordered or out of balance.

Figure 4-1. Diagnosis by Inspecting the Color of the Face

Tongue. The tongue is closely connected through Qi channels to the heart, kidney, stomach, liver, gall bladder, lungs, and spleen (Figure 4-2). In making a diagnosis, the Chinese doctor will check the shape, fur, color, and the body of the tongue to determine the condition of the organs.

Eyes. From the appearance of the eyes the doctor can tell the liver condition. For example, when the eyes are red, it means the liver has too much Yang. Also, black spots on the whites of the eyes (Figure 4-3), can tell of problems with the Qi circulation, degeneration of organs, or stagnancy due to an old injury.

Hair. The condition of the hair can indicate the health of the kidneys and the blood. For example, thin, dry hair indicates deficient kidney Qi or weak blood.

Lips and Gums. The color of the lips and their relative dryness indicates if the Qi is deficient or exhausted. Red, swollen, or bleeding gums can be caused by stomach fire. Pale, swollen gums and loose teeth might be a symptom of deficient kidneys.

Listening and Smelling (Wen Zhen, )

The doctor listens to the patient's breathing, mode of speech, and cough. For example, a dry, hacking cough is caused by dry heat in the lungs.

The doctor smells the odor of the patient's breath and excrement. For example, in the case of diseases caused by excessive heat, the various secretions and excretions of the body have a heavy, foul odor, while in diseases caused by excessive cold, they smell more like rotten fish.

Asking (Wen Zhen,

This is one of the most important sources of a successful diagnosis. The questions usually cover the patient's past medical history, present condition, habits and life style. Traditionally, there are ten subjects a Chinese doctor will focus on in this interview. They are:

1. Chills and fever

2. Head and body

3. Perspiration

4. Diet and appetite

5. Urine and stool

6. Chest and abdomen

7. Eyes and ears

8. Sleep

9. Medical history 10. Bearing and living habits

Palpation (Qie Zhen, inlfr)

There are three major forms of palpation (touching or feeling) in Chinese medicine:

1. The palpation of areas which feel painful, hot, swollen, etc. to determine the nature of the problem. For example, swelling and heat indicates there is too much Yang in the area.

Kidneys

Kidneys

Heart and Lungs'

Figure 4-2. Diagnosis by Inspecting the Condition of Tongue

Heart and Lungs'

Figure 4-2. Diagnosis by Inspecting the Condition of Tongue

Stomach

Triple Burner 7"9am Gall Bladder 9-11pm ! 11pm-1am ripie Bur 9-11pm

Ftericardium , 7-9 pm

Small Intestine 1-3pm

Large Intestine 5-7 am

Spleen Kidney 9-11am 5-7 pm

Stomach

Triple Burner 7"9am Gall Bladder 9-11pm ! 11pm-1am ripie Bur 9-11pm

Ftericardium , 7-9 pm

Heart _

11am-1pm

Small Intestine 1-3pm

Large Intestine 5-7 am

Liver 1-3am

Spleen Kidney 9-11am 5-7 pm

Liver Gall Bladder

Kidney Triple Burner

Large Intestine Lung

Large Intestine Lung

Small Intestine

Heart

Figure 4-3. Diagnosis by Inspecting the Black Spot in the Eyes

Small Intestine

Heart

Old Injury

Old Injury

2. The palpation of specific acupuncture points on the front and back of the trunk. For example, if the doctor senses a collapsed feeling, or the point is sore to touch, this indicates the possibility of disease in the organ with which the point is associated.

3. The palpation of pulse: Traditionally, the radial area pulse on the wrist (Figure 4-4) is the principal site for pulse diagnosis. Although the pulse is specially related to the lungs and controlled by the heart, it refers the condition of all organs (Table 4-1). The doctor checks the following: the depth (floating or submerged), the pace (slow or fast), the length (long or short), the strength (weak or strong), and the quality (slippery, rough, wiry, tight, huge, fine, or irregular). Usually it takes several years and hundreds of cases to become expert in the palpation of pulse.

Recently, inspection of skin eruptions on the ears has been used in Chinese diagnosis. A number of sites have been found on the ear (Figure 4-5) which become spontaneously tender or otherwise react to disease or injury somewhere in the body. Stimulation of these ear points in turn exerts certain therapeutic effects on those parts of the body with which they are associated. Moreover, many Western diagnostic methods, such as X-rays, have also been adopted in coordination with Chinese diagnosis.

This section serves only as a brief introduction to Chinese medical diagnosis. Interested readers should refer to books about Chinese medicine for more information.

Table 4-f

The Palpation of Pulse

Left Hand	Organs
Rear	Kidney Yin
Middle	Liver
Front	Heart
Right Hand	Organs
Rear	Kidney Vang
Middle	Spleen
Front	Lungs

Figure 4-4. Locations Used for Pulse Palpation

Gall Bladder

Lung Glands

Teeth

2. Pt. Tonsllla

3. Pt. Ganyang

4. Helix

5. Pt. Ganyang

6. Pt. Tonsilla

7. Pt. Tonsilla

8. Pt. Auris Interna

9. Pt. Faciei and Bucca

10. Pt. Tonsilla

11. Pt. Oculus

12. Anesthetic points for tooth extraction

13. Pt. upper and lower Mandible

16. Pt. Vertex

19. Pt. Emphysema

20. Pt. Oculus (Astigmatism)

22. Pt. Hormone

23. Pt. Oculus (Glaucoma)

26. Pt. Testis

27. Pt. Excitation

28. Pt. Nervus

29. Pt. Occiput

30. Pt. Encephalon

31. Pt. Vertigo

32. Pt. Brain Stem

Thyroidea

35. Pt. Clavicula

36. Pt. Endocrine

37. Pt. Hypertension

38. Pt. Bronchiectasis

39. Pt. Glandula Suprarenale «0. Pt. Hunger »2. Pt. Thirsty »3. Pt. Ovarium »<|. Pt. Tragic Apex 43. Pt. Pharyngo Larynx «6. Pt. Cor (Xinzang) 67. Pt. Auris Externa 48. Pt. Sanjiao »9. Pt. Bronchus 50. Pt. Glandula Parotis 31. Pt. Cardla

54. Pt. Ventriculum

55. Pt. Ptosis

56. Pt. Fulcram

57. Pt. Diaphragm

58. Pt. Mid-crus Helicis

59. Pt. 3isong

61. Pt. Uterine Appendages

62. Pt. Lowering Blood Pressure

63. Pt. Duodenum

64. Pt. Intestinum tenue

65. Pt. Appendix Vermiformis

66. Pt. Intestinum Crassum

67. Prostata

68. Pt. Vesica Urinaria

69. Pt. Ureter

71. Pt. Pancreas and Gall Bladder

72. Pt Shoulder

73. Pt. Glandula Mammarla

74. Pt. Art. Humeri 73. Pt. Thorax Externa

76. Pt. Shoulder Ache

77. Pt. Subaxill*

78. Pt. Thorax

79. Pt. Abdomen

80. Pt. Appendix Vermiformis

81. Pt. Lumbago

82. Pt. Appendix Vermiiormis

83. Pt. Cubitus

85. Pt. N. Ischiadicus

86. Abdomen

87. Pt. Lower Abdomen

90. Pt. Cavum Pelvis

91. Pt. Popliteal Fossa

93. Pt. Shenmen

94. Pt. Hepatitus

95. Pt. Guguan

96. Pt. Carpus

97. Pt. Allergy

99. Pt. Di&itas Manus

100. Pt. Appendix Vermiformis

101. Pt. Dlgitum Pedis

102. Pt. Malleolus

103. Pt. Asthma

105. Pt. Uterus

106. Pt. Esophagus

108. Pt. Hemorrhoid

109. Pt. N. Sympathetica

110. Pt. Organa Genitalia Externa

111. Pt. Urethra

113. Pt. Lower Rectum

114. Pt. Nasus Internus

Gall Bladder

Intostine Small Intestine Rectum

Lung Glands

Teeth

Figure 4-5. Acupuncture Points in the Ear

Was this article helpful?

+1 0