How is a disease or disharmony diagnosed?

Diagnosis is based on determining the pattern of disharmony. I first look into this by using what is called the ‘Eight Guiding Principles’. These are four polar opposites by which I can interpret the data received from the examination. These include ‘Hot or Cold’, ‘External or Internal’ and ‘Excess or Deficiency’, and ‘Yin and Yang’. Hot and Cold signs and symptoms are easy to understand. Someone may tend to be more Hot or Cold, such as in actual temperature of the body, or may prefer Hot or Cold weather or Hot or Cold drinks, or may have pain that has Hot or Cold sensations to it. External and Internal refer to the location in the body where disharmony lies. An External condition affects the body’s superficial layers of tissue, such as the skin and external areas such as the eyes, ears and teeth, where Internal conditions affect deeper layers of tissues and the internal organs. Excess or Deficiency refers to hyper- or hypo-function of any organ or physiological process. A condition is of Excess when there is obstruction in any organ or increased reactivity to stress or infection, whereas a condition is one of Deficiency if there is decreased resistance to stress or infection. Secondly, I diagnose by taking the Pulse and looking at the Tongue. In Chinese Medicine, we take the pulse at three positions and on three levels on each wrist. This is because each position represents a different organ. I also have patients show me their Tongue. I look at both the shape and color of the tongue, and the location and color of the tongue coating. A normal, healthy tongue should be pink, with a thin, white tongue coating. The organs of the body are mapped on the tongue. The front or tip of the tongue represents the Heart and Lung, the sides of the tongue represent the Liver and GB, the center of the tongue represents the digestive system and the back of the tongue represents the Kidneys/UB. A diagnosis of the patient is then the combination of what I have learned about the patient from discussion with them about their health, current signs and symptoms, and from taking the pulse and looking at the tongue. A treatment plan is then based on this diagnosis, determining which points are treated on the body and what herbal medications are prescribed.