Chinese Medicine

Chinese Medicine: "Traditionally, in Chinese medicine, a variety of techniques are used to diagnosis the imbalances for an individual. The diagnostic process uses symptoms, and appearance, (including dry skin, weight, and odors). Also used are tongue diagnosis, (the tongue is looked at), and pulse diagnosis, which differs quite a bit from Western pulse taking. When checking the tongue, practioners look at color, shape, tongue coating, and cracks in the tongue. There are certain spots on the tongue that relate to the organs, (such as the liver and spleen), and they'll note how those certain areas look also.

When doing pulse diagnosis, the pulse is felt in 3 positions and 2 layers, each corresponding to an organ and meridian. There are 6 pulses on the right front paw: Large Intestine, Lungs, Stomach, Spleen/Pancreas, Kidney Yang, Pericardium. There are 6 pulses on the left front paw: Small Intestine, Heart, Gall bladder, Liver, Urinary Bladder, and Kidney Yin.

(NOTE: description of Kidney Yang and Kidney Yin follows)

Using all this information will help practioners determine where the energy blockages are, and how they should be treated. Some practioners have developed their own ways of reading the energy, and might have something that they do instead of, or in addition to, the traditional diagnostic techniques."