"Anything inside is bound to manifest outwardly."

Chinese medical classics ("Treatise on the Original Organs" Miraculous Pivot)

Diagnosis is the art of recognizing a disease by its cause, location, and symptoms. The Chinese method of diagnosis is based on the idea that no single part can be understood except in its relation to the whole. If a person has a complaint or a symptom, Chinese medicine wants to know how the symptom fits into the patient's entire being and behavior. Disorders are situated in the context of a person's life and biography.

In Western medicine there are many different diagnostic techniques, but in Chinese medicine there are only four: Looking, Listening, Asking and Taking the Pulse. Among these diagnostic techniques, the use of tongue diagnosis in conjunction with pulse diagnosis ranks as one of the most important tools in Chinese medicine.

1. Looking

All illness is reflected in the face. Since each area of the face corresponds to a specific internal organ, by careful observation of the face during the course of a treatment, it is possible to determine the location and origin of the disease.

2. Listening

The listening technique includes the examination by ear as well as by smell. The practitioner listens to the patient's speech, tone of voice, breathing and coughing. Empty ailments (deficient energy) are indicated by low, weak speech. Full ailments (excess energy) are indicated in restless, confused speech and rapid, noisy breathing.

3. Asking

Asking takes the form of comprehensive and detailed dialogue between the practitioner and the patient. The interview is well-organized and systematic, focusing on the major symptoms of the disease and background factors which may have contributed to its development.

4. Taking the Pulse

Chinese pulse diagnosis is a delicate art form, difficult to master, and requires many years of practice. Its proven ability to trace the sources and courses of diseases in vital organs-past, present and future-seems almost miraculous to those unfamiliar with the technique.