Here, Barbara Kirschbaum member of the British Acupuncture
Council explains the diagnostic tools used by acupuncturists to
analyse the health of patients: 'If you are feeling under the
weather, just stick out your tongue - the state it's in can
present an accurate picture of your health. The colour, texture
and moisture of your tongue can provide tell tale signs of
what's going on inside your body. 'Tongue diagnosis is a tool
which along with the other diagnostic assessments can tell the
acupuncturist if, for example, a person has blood deficiency or
lack of body fluids, a tendency to become emotionally upset or
the beginnings of a viral infection. 'The practitioner will look
at a number of different aspects of the tongue such as general
shape, colour, coating and the markings or cracks, which can all
indicate not only physical health but also emotional wellbeing.
However as well as looking at the tongue an acupuncturist will
also use a number of other diagnostic tools which are used to
assess a patient's phy