INITIAL VISIT
Q & A:
CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE
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INITIAL VISIT
People come to an acupuncturist or herbalist because they are experiencing some health related complaint. This would be called the "main complaint" and could cover a wide range of disorders.
The Chinese did
not have an instrument to view the body's interior, so they developed
methods that could be experienced through their senses and could consistently
be recognized to represent a particular condition.
This lead to the development of the FOUR DIAGNOSTIC METHODS:
-
LOOKING
- LISTENING
-
QUESTIONING
-
PALPATION
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The observation
of the Tongue and palpation of the Pulse are the pillars of Chinese diagnostics.
LOOKING
The Ancients believed that disease processes inside the body were reflected on it's surface. The color of the skin or lack of color, areas of darkness, rashes, and the radiance of the eyes are taken into consideration.
The tongue is
observed (so do not brush the coat
before your visit) because it has information about the functioning of
the digestive system. Things such as fluids and food metabolism, signs
of heat or cold and progression of illness can be observed.
Does the tongue have a coat or is it without coating? Is it thick or thin
? Does it cover the tongue evenly or is it patchy? What color is the coat?
QUESTIONING/LISTENING
After a past history
intake and review, we discuss the present main complaint.
Together with information from the tongue and pulse analysis the practitioner
asks questions relevant to the patient's condition.
As a part of the questioning we listen to the quality of the voice which
tells us
about Qi and possible organ energetics.
Is their voice weak or strong? Are they whining or shouting?
Do they finish every
sentence with a laugh? or do they moan the answer to you
with great effort?
The interview process creates a picture of the dis-ease the patient is
experiencing, allowing us to arrive at a diagnosis unique to that person.
The first visit usually takes one and a half to two hours.
All treatment is done in the privacy of the treatment room.
For those that are not ready for acupuncture, Chinese
herbal medicine can achieve
the same therapeutic effect.
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PALPATION
The pulse has greater significance for practitioners of Chinese Medicine than for it's Western counterparts. All of the major organs are represented on the Radial Pulse of both wrists. We feel the pulse for rate,rhythm, depth, width,length, intensity, as well as pliability and wave under the fingers. The Chinese recognize over 28 distinctive pulses. |
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Pulse diagnosis is an art form that requires great time to master.