Methods of Diagnosis

1. Inspection
1. Expression.
2. Color
3. Appearance
4. Tongue – A normal tongue is of proper size, light red in color, free in motion and with a thin layer of white coating over the surface which is moist. Symptoms to look forward:
1. Color
1. Pale
2. Deep Red
3. Purplish
4. Flabby
5. Cracked
6. Thorny
7. Rigid
8. Deviated
2. Coating
1. White
2. Yellow
3. Grayish black
4. Peeled coating
2. Auscultation and Olfaction
1. Listening
1. Speech
2. Respiration
3. Cough
2. Smelling -- Offensive smell of a discharge or excretion usually indicates heat syndromes of the chi type, while insipid odor indicates cold syndromes of the Xu type.
3. Inquiring – Inquiry is asking the patient about the disease condition in order to understand the pathological process.
1. Chills and fever
2. Perspiration
3. Food, drink, appetite and taste
4. Defecation and urination
5. Pain
6. Sleep
7. Menses & leukorrhea
4. Palpation – Palpation is a method of diagnosis in which the pathological condition is detected by palpating, feeling pressing certain areas of the body.
1. Feeling the pulse
1. The location for feeling the pulse is above the wrist where the radial artery throbs. It is divided into three regions: cun, guan and chi. The region opposite to the styloid process of the radius is known of guan, that distal to guan (i.e., between guan and the wrist joint) is cun and that proximal to guan is chi. The three regions of cun, guan and chi of the left hand reflect respectively the conditions of the heart, liver and kidney, and those of the right hand reflect conditions of the lung, spleen and kidney.
2. In feeling the pulse, let the patient place his hand easily on a cushion palm up. First locate the guan region with the middle finger, then put the index and ring fingers naturally on the cun and chi regions. Finger force is exerted first lightly, moderately and then heavily to get a general idea of the depth, frequency, rhythm, strength and form of the pulse. Any abnormal changes in any region of the pulse should determined by exerting an even force on the three region, then by feeling the three regions separately and making comparison in order to have a correct impression of the pulse as a whole.
3. A normal pulse is of medium frequency of 4 to 5 beats per breath, and regular rhythm. It is even and forceful.
4. Abnormal pulse readings and their clinical significance are as follows:
1. superficial
2. deep
3. slow
4. rapid
5. xu type
6. shi type
7. wiry
8. rolling
9. short
10. knotted
11. intermittent
2. Palpation of channels and points – Clinical practice demonstrates that in some diseases tenderness or other abnormal reactions may occur along the courses of the involved channels or at certain points.