Diagnosis

Diagnosis is a method of analysing an illness and gathering information about the patient's condition. The main methods of diagnosis in traditional Chinese medicine are observation, auscultation, questioning and palpation. These are known as the four tests.

Observation : Complexion, eyes, nails, hair, breathing, emotional state, faeces and other excretions, etc. The tongue is a major source of information, both because of its volume, shape, colour and texture, and because of the characteristics of the whitish coating that covers it.

Auscultation breath, the sound of your voice, the sound of walking, etc.

Interrogation : Questions about discomfort, family history, sleep, appetite, etc.

Palpation These include skin texture, moisture, temperature and elasticity, muscle tone and tissue excitability. The pulse is also a fundamental method of diagnosis, as it allows us to examine the Qi. Indeed, it is thanks to the strength of the Qi that the blood circulates. The practitioner takes 3 different pulses, with 3 fingers, on the artery of each wrist. The first pulse gives information about the chest, the second about the upper abdomen and the third about the lower abdomen. The left wrist corresponds to the Yin organs and the right wrist to the Yang organs. Different characteristics are attributed to pulses (rapid, floating, percussive, weak, vigorous, fluid, drowned, etc.), each being a clue. Some characteristics can be combined.

To interpret the data, the practitioner must refer to the eight guiding principles: Yin/Yang, Hot/Cold, Empty/Excess, Inner/Outer. With these, he can determine the characteristics (state, quality, situation) of the Qi in the body. These characteristics will enable him to prescribe the most appropriate treatment or treatments, be it a change of diet, acupuncture, moxa or cupping, etc.