Four Diagnostic Methods

Four Diagnostic Methods

Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners perform their clinical assessment through four diagnostic methods: Inspection, Listening & Smelling, Inquiring and Palpation.

Inspection

• Using visual inspection to observe for any abnormalities in patients’ vitality, complexion, tongue and bodily secretions.

Listening & Smelling

• To detect any abnormalities in the sounds produced by patients, respiration etc. Attending to odors emitted through patients’ breath, secretions and excretions can help in diagnosing patients’ conditions.
  
  

Inquiring

• Inquiring about observable symptoms or signs and relevant medical history to aid diagnosis of illnesses and progressions.
  
  

Palpation

• Pathological changes and functions of each organ can be predicted by palpating the pulse and through pressing corresponding body parts.

Reference:
L.F. Wang, Diagnostic of Traditional Chinese medicine. A newly compiled practical English-Chinese library of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of TCM press, 2002