Health Evaluation

“The superior doctor prevents sickness; The mediocre doctor attends to impending sickness; The inferior doctor treats actual sickness.” ~Ancient Chinese Proverb

If you have ever been to an Acupuncturist or a TCM Doctor you know how thorough the initial evaluation is. We are borrowing a page from the ancient “10 Questions” playbook here and taking a deep dive into exactly how your body is manifesting on this physical plane.

Traditional Chinese Medicine is not only acupuncture as some might believe.  It is a complete health care system that encompasses many holistic modalities. These modalities have stood the test of time and we look to them today to free ourselves from the limitations that many are finding from the pharmaceutical industry.

Acupuncture is just a small part of a much larger holistic system:

The Physical Body is treated with:

• Chinese Herbal Medicine
• Dietary Therapy
• Tui Na (massage)
• Cupping
• Guasha

The Energy Systems of the body are treated with: 

• Acupuncture
• Qi Gong (movement medicine) 
• Feng Shui

The Philosophical and Spiritual side of the patient is treated with:

• Astrology
• Meditation 

But the shining star, in my opinion, of the entire medical system lies in Pattern Differentiation or Differential Diagnosis whose basis relies on the 5 Elements of Fire, Earth, Metal, Water & Wood.

The brilliance of the diagnostic process is remarkable. It brings to light not only pathology but it also reveals constitutional strengths and weaknesses that are used to bring the system into balance. It gives us the information that we need to use more of what we do have and less of what we don’t. We are then also able to support those areas of our life that aren’t quite as strong so that they place less of a strain on the rest of the system.

Pattern Identification is the backbone of TCM Theory and once you have determined your unique imbalance it is easy to follow the breadcrumbs back to a balanced energy body.

“In order to know the inside, [one] must observe the outside, examining the outside, [one] knows the inside. That which is inside, must appear outside.” —Dan Xi Xin Fa

Many Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors look to the ancient art of Facial Diagnosis to assist them in determining a plethora of diagnostic factors. As stated above in the Dan Xi Xin Fa, if you want to know what is going on on the inside of a persons body, all you have to do is observe the outside of the body. Because what’s inside the body MUST appear on the outside.

With this diagnostic technique I will be looking at the shape of your face, the color of your skin, the spirit that lives in your eyes. I will understand by observing the wrinkles that form on your face as a result of internal conflicts and emotions that express themselves through your repeated facial expressions. Together we will discover your constitutional energy and your strengths as well as your weaknesses.

The subconscious emotions that are hidden deep within you have no choice but to emerge on the topographical map that is the very image that represents you. It speaks of things unspoken. It unveils the hidden parts of you that are yearning to reveal their wisdom to you. This scientific modality leaves nothing to chance, everything means something, and we will look to every feature on your face and ask it to reveal its deeper understandings to you.

As part of the Facial Diagnosis I will also want to conduct a Tongue Diagnosis. The health and vitality of the internal organs are visible through observation of the tongue. I will look to the shape, color, moisture and coating on the tongue as well as the sublingual veins to reveal the health of The Five Elements as well as the 12 Organ Systems.

The great thing about these two diagnostic factors is that for those of you who are moving forward with treatment, we will use this information to document the progress that you are making. As the vitality of your body changes so will the appearance of your wrinkles and skin tone change as well as the health of your tongue.

“When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use. When diet is correct, medicine is of no need.” ~Ayurvedic Proverb

The beautiful science of Ayurveda originated from the ancient sages of India over 5000 years ago which makes Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic Medicine two of the oldest known forms of health care on the planet. The word Ayurveda originated from two Sanskrit words: ayur which means “life,” and veda, which means “knowledge.” So the very thing that Ayurvedic wisdom encourages us to do is to establish a deep awareness and knowledge of our lives.

The thing I find most appealing about Ayurvedic Medicine is that it is richly immersed in some of my very favorite things; philosophy, psychology and spirituality. It teaches us about who we really are so that we can stop trying to be who we are not. This in itself has the power to liberate us from the bonds that we have unknowingly placed upon ourselves.

Ayurvedic Medicine is in itself a complete science much like Traditional Chinese Medicine. Some of the differences between the two are: 

• Ayurveda’s movement medicine is Yoga as opposed to QiGong; 
• Their herbs are indigenous to their region so you will see some differences there; 
• Their diagnostic process is a bit different as it looks to the five elements of Fire, Water, Earth, Ether & Air to make up the three Doshas - Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.

Once you become aware of your Dosha, you are then able to better understand the constitutional characteristics that make up who you are. You learn what is good for your Dosha and what isn’t. This helps you to understand what is happening when the Dosha becomes imbalanced, and the steps that need to be taken to bring it back into balance.

I personally use the Ayurvedic diagnostic system in conjunction with the TCM differential diagnosis as the foundation for all dietary recommendations. Ayurveda has very specific food combining rules that I have found to be indispensable for healing imbalance within the body. When you combine the wisdom of TCM and Ayurveda you have the power to change your life in ways you never thought possible.