Have you ever wondered why your acupuncturist feels your radial pulse and asks to have a look at your tongue? Although it might seem strange at first, they are both powerful tools that help in reaching a proper TCM diagnosis.

The tongue provides us with valuable information that helps us to correctly diagnose the energetic pattern in your body, the root cause of whatever sickness or pain you are experiencing, and how to treat it.  We look at the color, shape, texture, and thickness of the tongue, as well as the color, thickness, and quality of the tongue coat. You would be amazed at how different tongues can look between two individuals!  

A western medical practitioner will feel the pulse to count beats per minute. An acupuncturist will feel each wrist with the pads of her left index, middle, and ring finger.

These 3 fingers will assess a pulse: heart and lung pulses with the index finger, liver and spleen pulses with middle finger, and kidney pulses with ring fingers. The acupuncturist is looking for not only the rate of the pulse but also the depth and quality.

Many things can be determined by the pulse and can include: emotions, pain, a women's menstrual cycle, if a cold is coming on, or how old or new a condition is to name a few.