Diagnosis in Chinese medicine
Looking, listening, asking and palpating: this is how a Chinese medicine practitioner builds a “pattern” that guides treatment.
The four diagnostic methods of Chinese medicine
The four diagnostic methods (si zhen) are the techniques traditional Chinese medicine uses to gather information about a person: observation, listening and smelling, questioning, and palpation, which includes taking the pulse. Their findings are combined to identify a pattern of imbalance, not a disease in the sense of modern medicine.
Diagnosis舌诊Tongue diagnosis in Chinese medicine
Tongue diagnosis (she zhen) is an observation technique of Traditional Chinese Medicine that interprets the color, shape, moisture and coating of the tongue as a reflection of the state of Qi, Blood and the organs. It is part of the four diagnostic methods and is used alongside the pulse and questioning, not on its own.
Diagnosis脉诊Pulse diagnosis in Chinese medicine
Pulse diagnosis (mai zhen) is a palpation technique of Traditional Chinese Medicine in which the radial pulse of both wrists is assessed at three positions (cun, guan and chi) and at three depths. Its rate, strength, rhythm and shape are interpreted as a reflection of the state of Qi, Blood and the organs.
Diagnosis八纲The eight principles of diagnosis in Chinese medicine
The eight principles (ba gang) are the basic framework traditional Chinese medicine uses to classify signs and symptoms. They are organized into four pairs of opposites: exterior and interior, cold and heat, deficiency and excess, and yin and yang. They are used to describe the location, nature and intensity of an imbalance and to guide traditional treatment.
