What does a healthy tongue look like in Chinese medicine?

Normal tongue shape is neither too thick nor too thin; the tongue body is smooth with no cracks. In general, changes in tongue shape are thought to reflect chronic illness affecting the blood, bodily fluids, or qi.

How do you read a tongue TCM?

A “normal” or vital tongue is pale red and slightly moist, and its body shape is supple, being neither too thick nor too thin. The tongue should move easily and its surface should be smooth and soft, without cracks. The tongue coat should be white and thin.

What does a white coated tongue mean in Chinese medicine?

A: In TCM, your condition is probably due to a deficiency in the heart, liver, spleen and stomach. If the tongue coating is thicker than normal, it indicates external or internal pathogenic (disease-causing) factors, such as “dampness”, phlegm or food accumulation, obstructing the stomach and spleen.

What does a geographic tongue mean in Chinese medicine?

Some Western medicine literature has used the term “geographic tongue” to refer to tongues with discoloured regions or cracks that accompany illness or environmental sensitivity11,12. Some researchers have also considered TCM tongue diagnosis to be a helpful approach for clinical decision making in Western medicine13.

Why do acupuncturists look at the tongue?

Acupuncturists check your tongue for color, texture and coating. In addition, the shape of your tongue can be an indicator of poor health. Your acupuncture El Segundo practitioner can determine health imbalances quickly.

Why do acupuncturists check your tongue?

What foods help with dampness?

Foods to resolve dampness include;

  • Grains. Corn, barley, basmati rice. Vegetables.
  • Asparagus, celery, Chinese cabbage. Fruit. Blueberry, cranberry.
  • Button mushroom, olive mushroom, watercress. Nuts. Almonds, walnuts.
  • Seaweed, radish, water chestnut. Fruit.
  • Mustard leaf, onion, scallion. Herbs and spices.

What does a white coated tongue indicate?

White tongue is the result of an overgrowth and swelling of the fingerlike projections (papillae) on the surface of your tongue. The appearance of a white coating is caused by debris, bacteria and dead cells getting lodged between the enlarged and sometimes inflamed papillae.

What does a coated tongue indicate?

A coated tongue (also known as white tongue) is a symptom that causes your tongue to appear to have a white coating. This typically occurs when bacteria, food matter, and other dead cells accumulate on your tongue between its papillae (the features on the surface of your tongue that provide its distinctive texture).

What foods are good for Qi deficiency?

Best foods for a qi deficiency

  • fermented foods for digestive health, including sauerkraut, kimchi, and kefir.
  • healthful, energizing fats, such as olive oil, salmon, coconut oil, and avocados.
  • a wide variety of lightly cooked fruits, vegetables, and nuts.

Why is the tongue important for TCM diagnosis?

As your health changes, the condition of your tongue will change as well. It is therefore very useful and important during inspection for confirming TCM diagnosis. It can present strong visual indicators of a person’s overall harmony or disharmony. In this page, we would like to share with you knowledge about tongue diagnosis.

What does Chinese medicine say about your tongue?

In Chinese medicine, disease is explained by an imbalance of Yin and Yang and Heat and Cold in the human body. Chinese medicine believes that chronic imbalances will have a definite impact on the color and shape of the tongue body and the color and thickness of the tongue coating.

Where does the taste map of the tongue come from?

The ability to taste sweet, salty, sour and bitter isn’t sectioned off to different parts of the tongue. The receptors that pick up these tastes are actually distributed all over. We’ve known this for a long time. And yet you probably saw the map in school when you learned about taste. So where did it come from?

How many taste bud diagrams are there in the world?

13 taste bud diagram illustrations & vectors are available royalty-free. Taste bud and the papillae of the tongue. basic taste areas: sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami. Taste bud and the papillae of the tongue. Human mouth isolated