In Traditional Chinese medicine using the tongue in order to clearly see the health of the body is very common. This tongue diagnosis technique will show the practitioner what is wrong with the body so that he or she can then recommend treatments such a nutrition, massage, herbal remedies, exercise, acupressure, or acupuncture. 

The reason the Ancient Chinese use the tongue is because it is believed to show the health of the 5 major organ systems: kidney, heart, sleep, lung, and liver. If you want to be completely healthy then keeping these 5 organs in balance is key.

What they look for

In a traditional tongue assessment, the healer would look at the shape, color, and coating on the patient’s tongue. Here are the major areas they would examine and what it meant in this ancient tradition.

1. Tongue Color

A person’s vital energy is that you look for when you look at the color of their tongue.

This vital energy of ‘qi’ is considered healthy when the tongue is a light red color. If the color is off then it may be a sign of a coming chronic illness that needs to be addressed.

Another example is the Ancient Chinese believed that having a pale tongue was a sign of blockages in the natural energy flow of the body which may mean issues with the digestive system or pancreas. Continue reading →