Introduction to TCVM Dx

with Tongue & Pulse

Basic TCVM Diagnostic
Equipment
OVERVIEW OF TCVM

Health and disease

Health: the natural state, everything in balance.

Based on energetic physiology:

1. Qi & blood are good quality with normal circulation

2. Zang‑fu organs work properly.

 OVERVIEW OF TCVM
Health:
Qi & blood are good quality with normal circulation. Created by

Spleen: absorbs Qi from food and liquid Digestion

Lung: absorbs energy from the air. Oxygen
Kidney: stores constitutional energy. Adrenal

Zang‑fu organs work properly.

Lung Large Intestine

Kidney Urinary Bladder
Liver Gall Bladder
Heart Small Intestine
Spleen (Pancreas) Stomach
Disease:

Imbalanced symptoms:

too much heat, cold, damp, dry, etc.

Qi and blood poor quality;

Qi and blood circulation impaired

One or more of the zang‑fu is not working well

Cause of Disease
Environment and climate stress: 6 pathogen qi:
Wind Fire/Heat
Cold Summer Heat
Damp Dryness

Emotional stress: 7 emotions:

Joy/Fright --------> Heart
Anger --------> Liver
Sadness/Grief --------> Lung
Worried -------> Spleen
Fear/Shock -------> Kidney

Life Style (Diet, daily activity)

Others Toxins (micro‑organisms: virus, bacteria, protozoa)-Heat Toxin
Poison
Trauma
Organization Format to Pathophysioloty

1) Eight Principles Yang Yin

Hot Cold
Exterior Interior
Excess Deficiency

2) Six Stages of Wind Invasion (epidemics by microorganisms)

Taiyang Surface, skin

Shaoyang Half interior, half exterior (lymph)
Yangming Qi level: high fever
Taiyin Lung, spleen
Shaoyin Kidney, heart
Jueyin Pericardium (CVD), liver
3) Four Levels of Heat Invasion (microbe epidemics):

Wei: superficial, initial stage, exterior

Qi: meridians
Ying: nerve systems
Blood: internal organs

4) Zang Fu syndromes (internal diseases)

Heart: Cardiovascular, Central Nervous System, mental

Lung: Respiratory, skin, immune
Spleen: Alimentary tract, immune, muscular, endocrine, metabolic
Liver: Hepatobiliary, eyes, endocrine, metabolic,
ligaments and tendons, hooves/paws
Kidney:Reproductive, renal, bone and joints,
endocrine, and metabolic

5) Channel pathologies (arthritis, trauma, paralysis)

Diagnosis
1.Pulse: depth, width, height, force, quality

2.Tongue: pathological presentations:

Shapes, body colors, coat colors, coat textures

3.Looking (shen/skin, shapes, eyes, face)

4.Smelling (skin, breath)

5.Listening (voice, respiration)

6.Symptoms and history

Five step methodology

1.Signs/symptoms (patient’s presentation)

2.Diagnosis (Name of disease, western diagnosis)

Each disease has 1 to 10 differentiations

3.TCM diagnosis (pattern differentiation)

4.Treatment Strategy
Based on the differentiation
Energetic pathophysiology

5. Treatment (herbs or acupuncture)

 Normal Tongue
 Pink
 Red
 White
 Blue

 Moist

 Fits mouth

 Good tone
 Tongue Changes- -Color

Pale Pink Red

 Tongue Changes- -Color

 Purple  Black (ashen)

 Dark Red  Normal

 Pale Tongue

Wet is Qi deficiency Dry is Blood Deficiency

Wet, Swollen (teeth

marks) & purple is
Yang deficiency
 Red Tongue
Deficiency Excess

HEAT
 Purple Tongue
Deficiency Excess

Yang Deficiency Stagnation Cold

 Tongue-Organ Relationship

Kidney
Liver

Spleen

Lung

Heart
 Tongue Coatings
Not as important in animals nor as prominent

 White Coating  Greasy Coating

 Normal  Can’t be Scrubbed off
 Excess Cold  Damp

 Yellow Coating
 Heat
 Pulses
Left Right
(Yin & Blood) (Qi & Yang)

Upper Heart Lung

Middle Liver Spleen

Lower Kidney Kidney

Yin Yang
 Pulse Depth

Superficial Excess

Middle

Deep Deficiency
 Pulse Character

Slow Fast

Cold Hot
 Abnormal Pulses
 Slippery
 Damp
• Like being in a bog

 Wiry
 Liver Stagnation
• Tight like a wire

 Irregular
 Heart Qi or Blood
• arrhythmia
 Using Tongue & Pulse

 Pulse looks at current events

 Tongue reflects history

 Together, they help determine the nature,

location and Zang-Fu involvement in the
disease process