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Millwoods Acupuncture Center
102, 2603 Hewes Way
Edmonton AB,   Canada

Phone: (780) 466-8683
www.acupuncture123.ca
 








 

 

Tongue covering

 

You are taught in your textbook Traditional Chinese Medicine (textbook TCM) that a tongue without tongue covering suggests Yin deficiency. Similarly, following tongues are also believed suggesting a Yin deficiency: a tongue surface looks as a map with irregular edges of the covering; a tongue is red in color as dark as persimmon; or a tongue with cracks.  

It is true that such clinic conditions can been seen in patient with Yin deficiency. However, it does not mean that such tongue will only occur in a Yin deficiency condition. So many times, we can see such tongue in patients with Qi deficiency or Yang deficiency too.

In Yin deficiency, such tongue is caused by less Yin that cannot nourish the tongue with liquid so that a kind of “Fire” burning the tongue and causes the tongue change. Such tongue can also be due to Qi deficiency or a Yang deficiency since it is the Qi in the body that brings water floating up to the tongue to nourish the tongue. The function of Qi or Yang here works just as the sunshine evaporate water to make it into vapor in air. Therefore once we see such tongue, we need to sear more clinic evidence to make correct TCM diagnosis. If it is due to Qi deficiency, herbal formular of Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang is suggested to use. Addition of Rougui in it makes it work better or use herbal formula of Si Ni Tang (plus Ren sheng).