A cracked tongue is a benign condition with multiple small but furrows, fissures or grooves visible on the dorsal of the tongue. In this article i am going to share with you knowledge about tongue diagnosis. The mouth offers a plethora of diagnostic information for the chinese medical doctor. Qibloodbody fluids patterns zang fu patterns learn with flashcards, games, and more for free.
Sometimes the cracks are found randomly and may occur at the side edges of the tongue. At times, debris trapped inside the fissures cause irritation. Use of sight in traditional chinese medicine diagnosis. Another sign of stomachyin deficiency is a stomach crack or cracks on the tongue. If the crack extends to the tongue tip shows a congenital born with heart weakness. In tongue diagnosis how and if the tongue moves also has meaning, as also its shape, colour, coating and how moist or dry it is. Jan 25, 2017 vertical crack on the tongue usually indicates the exhaustion of your body fluids specifically yin deficiency. The tongue occurs as painful and magenta in color, inflamed glossitis. The ground will become extremely dry and start to crack. Feb 02, 2009 the heart crack on the tongue is relatively common. Nov 17, 2015 giovanni maciocia is a worldrenowned expert and practitioner of chinese medicine. Shape of the tongue fissures cracks in the tongue movement of the tongue.
Hiv, traditional chinese medicine, tongue, acupuncture. Teeth marks i see this often mean spleen deficiency. Most cracks are located on the midline of the tongue, which represents the spinal column. Thorny eruptions of the buds on the tongue alert the doctor to heat or stagnant xue. If the heart crack is accompanied by a change in the tonguebody colour and a. The red tip indicates heart fire and the swelling of the tip and its curling up confirm and reinforce this diagnosis. In other words, a change in colour of the tongue body indicates that that particular constitutional tendency to heart patterns has manifested itself and generated an actual heart pattern.
Normal color, pale color in severe cases midline crack to tip with swollen sides in severe cases of heart qi deficiency. This may sound strange to those of us who were raised in a western. The heart crack indicates the constitutional tendency to mentalemotional problems. Cracked tongue, also referred to as fissured tongue is common according to medical practitioners during diagnosis. Tongue diagnosis in chinese medicine by giovanni maciocia. Tongue assessment in traditional chinese medicine tcm. The heart organ represents a group of physiological functions. This suggests overabundance of pathogenic heat in the body, which could be due to. The deeper the crack, the more chronic the condition of the tongue.
Transverse cracks behind the tip indicate lung weakness. Possible causes include food allergy, biting the tongue, malabsorbtion of vitamin b, colon imbalance and other factors. The above possible fissured tongue causes however remain unsubstantiated. The heart opens into the tongue because they are connected. These indications are always a part of a larger diagnostic picture and are rarely definitive as standalone indications of a specific imbalance. Cracks in a red tongue indicate deficient yin or heat injuring the fluids. In traditional chinese medicine, its an ancient practice to read the tongue.
Geographic tongue usually accompany cracked tongue. The tongue is believed to be linked to the heart, bladder, liver. You may feel hot at night, or notice dryness in your skin or eyes. For our herbalists, the tongue helps us select the proper herbal formula. A flabby tongue body with teeth marks on the margin and pale in color indicates a yang deficiency of the spleen and kidney leading to accumulation and obstruction of phlegmdampness. This method involves examination of the shape, size, color, and texture of the tongue body and coat and helps reveal the state of. Back shu point of the heart, warms and tonifies heart yang.
A normal tongue should be pale red they say the color of fresh meat. A reddishpurple tongue indicates heat and blood stagnation. Discover what a tongue diagnosis of cracks on your tongue means and how to remedy a cracked tongue with ayurveda. The tongue has a special relationship with the heart, in that the heart opens to the tongue. In this blog, i will cover the basics of tongue diagnosis. Cracks on the tongue coating can indicate that your nourishing fluids are burned out, just like the earth cracks when it becomes dry. The tongue body refers to the muscular tissue of the tongue. Excess heat or yin deficiency or heart imbalance, especially if there is a crack down the middle of the tongue to the tip. When we look at your tongue, it tells us a lot about your health. As the condition worsens, the pulse may be not merely rapid by stop at irregular intervals hasty. Heart from a tcm perspective in tcm, the functions of the heart are different from those of the anatomical heart, as it is understood in western medicine. The tip of the tongue corresponds to conditions of the heart and lung.
Tongue diagnosis is a practice long used in traditional chinese medicine a system of. Doctor of traditional chinese medicine vancouver area. By observing the tongue and looking for the heart s brilliance to be manifested in the face, a lot can be learned about how the heart is functioning. Traditional chinese medicine tongue diagnosis carahealth. A cracked tongue is generally a sign of chronic nervous stress and tension. Vertical crack on the tongue usually indicates the exhaustion of your body fluids specifically yin deficiency. A cracked tongue diagnosis usually involves looking at the tongue to see what else is occurring alongside the cracks.
If the tongue has any sort of coating on it, this is a very clear indication of toxic buildup in the system and poor overall digestion. What your tongue can say about your health organic olivia. Atlas of chinese tongue diagnosis 2nd edition atlas of chinese tongue diagnosis, volume 2. If there are sensations of a burning tongue, or pain due to canker sores in the mouth, or you are often irritable, look for a crimson red tongue or tongue tip with reddish prickles. Most causes of a cracked tongue have distinctive and telltale symptoms, so a visual inspection followed by a medical history can accurately determine most culprits. Typically, the tongue is swollen in this state and the pressure causes cracking. If the tongue is pale and cracked, there is deficient qi or xue. Generally speaking, a heart crack indicates a constitutional propensity to heart patterns and to emotional problems. If the tip is swollen, for example, it means heart fire. A normal tongue coating is thin and white figure 3. The 5 organs network of chinese medicine is a comprehensive overview of this fundamental element of chinese medicine. The 5 organs network of chinese medicine was written by heiner fruehaf, ph. Jun 24, 2017 signs and symptoms of a cracked tongue identifying a cracked tongue.
In addition to regulating the cardiovascular system, it is responsible for maintaining the nervous systems functions. According to the principles of tcm, analyzing the appearance of an individuals tongue can provide a greater understanding of his or her overall health. A crack in the midline with small cracks branching from it often shows kidney yin deficiency. But in ayurveda, cracks on your tongue tell an important story. Cracks anywhere suggest yin deficiency in the related zangfu. If wide and not deep it points to stomach yin deficiency usually. If the center crack goes to the tip of the tongue it also involves the heart. The most common area where coating is typically found is on the back of the tongue, revealing that the toxic buildup is in the colon area. The stomach crack on the tongue is rather wide and it is in the central section of the tongue corresponding to middle burner.
Cracks on the edges of the tongue reveal that the digestive fire agni is impaired. Heart crack obstruction of shen online acupuncture ceu lotusinstitute aka elotus. Cracked tongue pictures, causes, diagnosis, treatment. It should be supple, soft and flexible, even shaped and it should have no cracks. Tongue diagnosis is a primary method in chinese medicine for understanding whats happening inside the bodyits the other mri of traditional medical systems. If the crack runs from center of the tongue to the tip there is likely a heart disorder or congenital heart problems. When the patient can not show the entire tongue, it usually indicates a more severe disease. Deep cracks on the sides indicate longterm spleen qi deficiency. The use of sight in traditional chinese medicine diagnosis is crucial. Although if you are at the high stage it may be hard to get to sleep in the first place, people with heart fire tend more to keep waking up, often from dreams. Excessive tongue coating in any of these specific areas shows an imbalance of that dosha. If the tongue is also deep red, this may indicate heart fire. Traditional chinese medicine diagnosis study guide. A heart crack is rather thin and long, extending from near the root of the tongue to near the tip.
Both substances are used to mature the tongue s papillae and lacking in one or both can result in large, smooth patches developing on the tongue. Practical diagnosis in traditional chinese medicine, 1e. Tongue map the very tip of the tongue thats said to be the heart. This method involves examination of the shape, size, color, and texture of the tongue body and coat and helps reveal the state of organ functions and progression of conditions. Chinese tongue diagnosis is an essential tool used by tcm practitioners. Tongue diagnosis is an important diagnostic tool in traditional chinese medicine tcm. To contrast and compare the heart and stomach cracks, the former is rather narrow and runs all along the tongue from near the root to near the tip, while the latter is rather wide and is only in the middle of the tongue. The heart, according to chinese medicine, is the king of all organs. Most common is the longitudinal midline crack running up the centre or the tongue from back to front. In other words, a change in colour of the tongue body indicates that that particular constitutional tendency to heart patterns has manifested itself and generated an actual heart.
A raw tongue, that looks like a slab of raw meat, and is dark red in color, is generally a sign of advanced consumption, deficiency heat, and a severe depletion of the vital fluids. According to tcm theory, the tongue provides a geographic map of organ systems. The body is experiencing dehydration and longterm adrenal stress. Cracks travelling to the tip will point to heart yin deficiency. Taking into account swelling of the tongue body your teeth marks it confirms the yin deficiency in the spleen and accumulation of dampness.
Tongue diagnosis is an important method used in chinese medicine to understand the. You might be self conscious of this, you do not need to be. It is considered a pillar of diagnosis because it provides clearly visible. Tcm tongue diagnosis is considered a pillar of tcm diagnosis because it provides clearly visible clues to a patients pattern of disharmony. Connections to the tongue channelsmeridians reaching the tongue. Treatment for irritation include vitamin and zinc supplements, and treatment for pain include pain revilers and antiinflammatory drugs. It can show the condition of your body, organs, progress of a disorder and your tongue will show the depth and nature hot, cold, etc. The sides of the tongue show the liver and gallbladder but where the sides curl forwards to the tip represents the chest area, including a womans breasts, the heart and the lungs. Stick out your tongue tongue diagnosis in tcm petersen. We are not looking at it to show the quality of your dental hygiene.
A peeled or cracked tongue coat indicates insufficient lining or flora in the digestive system. In fact you will mostly only notice signs of a cracked tongue during your regular dental checkup. This means that there is a major emotional cause of whatever the rest of the tongue indicates as disease. The tongue will be a healthy red color when this organ is in balance.
Vitamin h deficiency mostly occurs in those taking antiseizure medications, taking longterm antibiotics and absorption difficulties such as in crohns disease. A normal tongue is relatively flat across its length. In tcm, both the tongue and face are windows for the heart and blood. By examining the face, the body, and the tongue, a practitioner can recognize signs and symptoms that indicate illness. Nov 20, 2017 what your tongue says about your health natural cures. Some signs of it are indigestion, bloating, constipation or diarrhea, abdominal pain, heaviness etc. A central short crack in the middle of the tongue often indicates stomach yin deficiency fig. A crack in the centre of the tongue can indicate that this is happening in the stomach. Brushing the top surface of the tongue removes such debris and the irritation. Treatment cannot begin until observation using sight has been made and other methods of diagnosis have been employed. If the tongue is normal in color or pale, this may indicate heart qi deficiency.
The red tip indicates heartfire and the swelling of the tip and its curling up confirm and reinforce this diagnosis. Giovanni maciocia is a worldrenowned expert and practitioner of chinese medicine. If there is blood stagnation, the tongue will reflect this with a dark purple color. Examining your tongue can tell you everything about your organs and the state of your health. If, in the presence of a heart crack, the tongue tip is red, it indicates that there already is a heart pattern usually from emotional problems. Ben miller works in oriental medicine and can tell you whats ailing you by diagnosing your tongue. Tongue coating a coating on the tongue can also give your practitioner information about your health. The treatment of diseases with acupuncture and chinese herbs, 2e. A crack in the center of tongue means that the stomach is injured likely because of a vata imbalance. A fissured tongue is marked by a deep, prominent groove in the. The tongue is said to be an offshoot of the heart, or flowers into the heart.
Taking into account swelling of the tongue body your teeth marks it confirms the yin deficiency in the spleen and accumulation of damp. And if you find cracks on a red tongue, it usually means that theres heat either excess heat thats burned up the tongue or theres insufficiency of yin, usually stomach yin. Mouth and tongue ulcers heart heat affecting the heart. Oct 03, 2019 fissured tongue is a benign condition affecting the top surface of the tongue. If it reaches to the tip from the back, it points to heart energy problems, probably from intense. The four examinations, part 2 tongue diagnosis in chinese. And it should have an even, slightly moist, thin, white coat. These cracks or fissures are found only on the tongue and not in any other oral parts.
The normal tongue in tcm has a light red or pinkish body with a thin white coating. Dampness can be likened to sludge, and often times may indicates issues with digestion. Cracked tongue is a benign problem that does not require any specific treatment or cure. Ben miller can tell you whats wrong with you by looking at your tongue. Tongue diagnosis is part of diagnosis by looking in traditional chinese medicine tcm. If you find cracks on a pale tongue, it usually means that the qi and the blood is deficient.
The deeper the crack the longer the disease, imbalance or stronger the genetic weakness or tendency. Your tongue plays a unique role in understanding your bodys constitution. This is the fifth and final post on the series of the main tcm organs. Many organs are associated with key areas of the tongue.
It includes observing the tongue and any coating it may have. The central crack in this case correlates with the heart. Tongue diagnosis and analysis natural health techniques. Tongue diagnosis is a practice long used in traditional chinese medicine a system of alternative medicine that originated in china. The heart crack on the tongue is relatively common. Tongue diagnosis is an integral part of taking a medical history in chinese medicine. Cracks or lines down the center of the tongue also indicate a potential heart function issue. A naturopathic practitioner, alyse shockey, rdh, advises patients regarding the status of the color, shape, thickness, and coating of the tongue with. Heart from a tcm perspective traditional chinese medicine. The small patch without coating indicates the beginning of stomachyin deficiency. The deficiency extends to the tongue manifesting as cracks on the tongue. This may sound strange to those of us who were raised in a western society that only looks at blood work, but youd be surprised at all your tongue can tell you. Tongue abnormalities and what they mean svasthaayurveda.
In any case, when i see such cracks i nourish stomachyin. Crack in the middle of the tongue and some more cracks coming out from it. Knowledge of tongue diagnosis is one of the unique treasures of traditional chinese medicine tcm. As the condition becomes more chronic a crack appears in the midline of the tongue, extending towards the tip. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. In chinese medicine, each type of tongue quality relates to a chinese diagnosis, as well as particular physical and mentalemotional symptoms. Positive health online article show me your tongue. When you get acupuncture, your acupuncturist will look at your tongue. The heart is too hot to let the shen, the mind, settle and remain quiet while asleep. How tongue diagnosis works by transformational acupuncture. Symptoms of possible heart disease in chinese medicine include vertical creases on earlobes, horizontal crease across the bridge of the nose, a deep central crack on the tongue, especially when it extends to the tip of the tongue, a red tipped tongue. Tcm doctors rely on tongue diagnosis to differentiate one syndrome from another, and use variations in the tongues colour, texture, shape and coating to evaluate a patients condition.
Did you know that your tongue can serve as a window to your health. Fissured tongue has been associated with geographic tongue and pustular psoriasis. Principles of tongue diagnosis observing and interpreting the signs offered by the tongue is one of the more important diagnostic tools in chinese medicine. A tongue with purplish spots or petechiae also indicates blood stagnation. However, stomach cracks may indicate a constitutional tendency to stomachyin deficiency rather than the actual pathology. One of the things that made me fall in love with chinese medicine was its beautifully poetic way of explaining the world, our universe, the human body and the nature of disease.
A tongue without cracks is frequently soft and supple. Cracked tongue from a vitamin deficiency takes two main forms. Quite a number of individuals suffer from this condition. Tongue abnormalities and what they mean tongue coating and location. The tongue is a map of the body in chinese medicine.
Most people dont even notice the cracks on their tongue. Observation of the tongue, also known as tongue diagnosis, is an important procedure in tcm examination. The normal tongue in traditional chinese medicine has a light red or pinkish body with a thin white coating. Many cracks on tongue fissured tongue ayurvedic diet. Tongue diagnosis is a very traditional and effective method which has been used to diagnose diseases for over two thousand years. For more about the chinese theory of sleep, click insomnia. Oct 24, 2016 tongue diagnosis is an important diagnostic tool in traditional chinese medicine tcm.
One of the principal diagnostic methods in traditional chinese medicine tcm is the inspection of the tongue. The tongues relationship to the internal organs over time, chinese medicine has observed that certain parts of the tongue relate to certain parts of the body. When the very tip of the tongue is swollen, it usually indicates heart problems. A thick tongue coating can indicate dampness in the system. The central crack in the tongue indicates prana flow through the heart or spine. Tongue diagnosis is one of the four pillars of examination in traditional chinese medicine, and reveals to the practitioner a basic guide of where disharmony is present. Tongue cracks are hereditary, and rarely cause and problem. The tongue coating fur refers to a layer of moss over the tongue surface, which is produced by the stomach qi. The presence of the heart crack indicates that this patient had a constitutional tendency to heart patterns and to emotional problems. The thickness of a coating is an indicator of the severity of the condition being treated. If there is insufficient blood in the heart, the tongue may appear pale. This crack is in the midline extending from near the root to near the tip. Integrative medicine practitioners do link the tongue to other areas of the body such as the liver, heart, bladder, spleen, and intestines. Transverse cracks or cracks on the sides has to do with spleen challenges.
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