Acupuncture is among the best-known methods of traditional Chinese medicine in the West. The healing art is gaining increasing acceptance within the Western scientific community as it is regularly studied in laboratory trials and included in hospitals' complementary care centers. However, its methods of diagnosis are just as non-Western as its methods of healing. Pulse analysis is one major diagnostic tool for the acupuncturist, or indeed any TCM practitioner.
Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Framework
Traditional Chinese medicine has served as a primary form of heath care in China for thousands of years. The underlying philosophy of the school is dramatically different from Western science, and as a result, TCM is typically considered a complementary or alternative medicine in the West. A practitioner of TCM seeks to restore the balanced flow of vital energy, or qi, through various modalities, including massage, moxibustion, herbalism, acupressure and acupuncture. The balance of qi is determined by the balance of complementary and opposing forces, called yin and yang. Additional opposing pairs are used to further understand the nature of a particular illness, which may be attributed to qualities such as heat or cold or excess or deficiency. Finally, energetic balance is understood in terms of the five elements: wood, fire, air, metal and water.
Acupuncture and TCM
Acupuncture is one healing art used within the TCM framework. An acupuncturist applies slender needles to stimulate certain points around the body. These points correlate to specific meridiens, or qi pathways, which correlate, in turn, to specific organs and elements. A skilled acupuncturist determines which organs or elements are in imbalance and restores them, thereby curing the manifestation of disease.
Diagnosis in TCM: Pulse Taking
Before an acupuncturist can apply any needles, it's necessary to diagnose the source of the patient's energetic imbalance. Pulse checking is part of the diagnosis process of any TCM practitioner, and it is used to determine internal bodily processes, the source of disease, the best method of treatment and the chances of recovery. In TCM terms, the pulse demonstrates whether a syndrome is hot or cold, of excess or deficiency and whether it affects blood or qi.
Diagnosis in TCM: Other Techniques
In addition to pulse taking, the diagnostic stage of your consultation may include asking questions, assessing the color, shape and texture of your tongue and checking your pulse. Your acupuncturist will take further cues from the quality of your speaking voice, your breathing, any coughing or intestinal gurgling, your overall appearance, your skin tone, your facial structure and expression and any bodily smells. Questions will generally focus around the symptoms you have noticed, such as appetite, sleep habits, any pains or any tendencies to fever, chills or perspiration.
References
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Traditional Chinese Medicine: An Introduction
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Acupuncture
- "Institute for Traditional Medicine;" The Significance of Traditional Pulse Diagnosis in the Modern Practice of Chinese Medicine; Subhuti Dharmananda
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