Your diagnosis starts with the information that you provide with the forms that you fill from our paperless patient information. This information is sent directly to us so we can review your information before we even see you. It will help us to understand your health needs a little better before you arrive.
The next step is questioning. We will ask more specific questions that help us understand the root cause(s) of your problem(s). These questions are one of the basic tools of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The questions start out focused on the eight principles of Chinese medicine. The principles are Yin and Yang, hot and cold, interior and exterior, and finally excess and deficiency also known as full and empty. Once we have an understanding about the nature of the health problem we will be able to ask more detailed questions. After the first intake the questioning in the following treatments will be more limited to the specific problem and will take less time.
Another diagnostic tool that is used with TCM is felling the pulse. We are not just taking the rate of the pulse. The pulse has very specific qualities that can be felt. The qualities are learned through a lot of training and practice. These qualities tell the practitioner more about what is happening within your body and may guide us to ask more questions as well as help in diagnosing your health needs.
Tongue diagnosis is another tool of TCM. The tongue changes constantly. The aspects that are looked at about the tongue are the body and coating. The body of the tongue we will look at the color, shape, moistness and movement. With the coating we will look at the amount, thickness, cracks and color. All of these qualities have different meanings as to what is happening in the body.
Observation is yet another tool that is used within TCM which will include looking and listening. By looking at the patient we will notice the complexion, posture, gait and movement of the body. With the listening part we will be listening to the cadence and volume of the voice and aspects of the breath.
All of these diagnostic tools will help us to make the proper decision on what we will do for the treatment of your health. These tools have been developed over centuries of research and practice of TCM.