áRespecting Your Body's Language
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is vastly different from western medicine in that it listens to, understands and responds to the body's language. The human body has a harmonizing flow between the body, mind and spirit. This flow can be depleted or blocked by various causes. A Chinese medical practitioner is trained to be able to detect how the flow of energy (Qi) is within the body by tuning in to the symptoms that are presented during examination of the patient. These symptoms are the language of the body and being able to hear the language and interpret it are the skills necessary to have in order to practice Chinese medicine. Restoring the harmony within the individual between the body, mind and spirit fights illness.
The Chinese practitioner uses unique tools to uncover the root and branches that will depict the cause and manifestation of illness within the body, mind and spirit of the patient.
The practitioner uses observation, hearing & smelling, Inquiry and palpation as the tools for discovery.
Observation uncovers clues from the hair, face, nose, ears, mouth & lips, teeth & gums, the throat, nail & limbs as well as from the skin, tongue and meridians.
Hearing and smelling detect clues from the sounds the patient makes, his/her voice and odors present from body and the oral cavity.
Inquiring will give clues about sweating, the existence of pain, clues from the head and body, the intensity levels of pain over the entire body, the specific location of pain in the joints, any backaches, the presence of numbness, dizziness, noises within the chest or abdominal areas as well as answers to diet and appetite which includes information about taste, any vomiting, the stools, condition of urine, sleep patterns as well as information about how the ears and eyes are doing, and also drinking patterns (thirst?)
Palpation includes taking the pulse. The pulse has 3 qualities: the stomach Qi, spirit and root.
The stomach Qi is a pulse that is soft, calm and gentle to touch. It is a slow pulse. If upon palpation, it is determined that the stomach pulse is rough or hard than the stomach is injured.
The spirit is also a soft pulse, but has a strength to it that is not big, small or regular in nature. The spirit pulse shows health Qi and blood. A patient's spirit is observed through the eyes, the complexion, how the patient is breathing, the vitality and aura of the patient. The spirit is described as either strong or weak.
Root pulse is a deep level pulse and if felt the kidneys are strong.
All of these tools are important in diagnosing the patient. A diagnosis can not be made accurately by using only one of the above tools. One word does not make a language. The accuracy of diagnosis and treatment depends on the practitioner’s ability to discern the language presented by the patient and to be able to respect the flow of that language and to be able to use the information gathered from the tools to interpret the needs of the patient. Restoring the body’s balance rests on the ability of the practitioner to interpret and respect what the body is saying.
