Sticking out your tongue is not just for fun…

When you come for an acupuncture appointment, I will ask to you stick out your tongue so I can have a good look at it. “Why is that?” you may ask.

In Chinese medicine, the tongue is a part of the diagnosis toolbox. The different areas of the tongue correlate to different systems and organs of the body and it provide us with an overall picture of your health and a basic indication of illness in certain areas of your body. A generalised map of the tongue can be seen here below:

I love this useful tongue diagnosis guide below by AcuMedic Ltd (2009) which helps to determine various health conditions from a Chinese Medicine perspective:

Some generalised examples:-

· Quivering tongue - if your tongue has a quiver to it, this is said to be a sign of Spleen Qi deficiency. The Spleen is said to ‘house thought’ and if one is studying hard for exams or overthinking thinks, this can lead to one’s Spleen Qi being depleted. Some symptoms of Spleen Qi Deficiency can be tiredness, loose stools, abnormal or poor appetite.

· Pale and Dry tongue - if your tongue is pale and dry this can be indicative of Blood deficiency and can be a common sign amongst women who experience heavy menstrual periods. Some symptoms could be postural dizziness, cramps, pins and needles.

What do I need to be mindful of before my acupuncture appointment?

When you come for an acupuncture appointment it would make diagnosis easier if you can avoid eating food or drinks which may discolour your tongue, such as coffee and blueberries. If possible please also avoid brushing your tongue on the day of your appointment as it may remove some useful diagnostic tongue coatings!

What to expect when you come for your acupuncture appointment?

I will ask you to stick out your tongue several times for a few seconds each time. This is because the tongue can change if you stick it out for long periods. I will look at the shape and size of your tongue, plus the colour, coating, moisture levels and any noticeable spots or cracks and this combined with pulse diagnosis will enable me to devise a tailor-made treatment plan for you.