Five Questions Your Acupuncturist May Ask and Why
Here are five seemingly AMUSING things your acupuncturist will ask you and why.
5. How does your tongue look?
Acupuncturists use a person’s tongue as a diagnostic tool that helps identify what’s happening in your body. What they observe can have different meanings. Toothmarks tend to point toward several things, one among them being digestive issues. A red color may signal heat and a pale color may signal blood deficiency. Some teachers say, “the tongue never lies” (unless you’ve had coffee or tea).
4. What color is your urine?
Again, they’re just checking another great diagnostic tool to tell them what’s going on inside. It takes a seasoned practitioner to be able to glean meaning from these tools. For instance, a sign of clear, profuse urine, and cold body temperature are just a few signs of internal coldness in the body. However, not all urine that is opaque and yellow means heat in the body.
3. Where are you on your menstrual cycle?
This is a question that is very helpful for people coming into the office for issues that they may not seem related to their menstrual cycle, but present a big part of the pattern or illness they’re experiencing. For instance, if you experience night sweats or insomnia before or during your menses, these are indications of specific patterns we can then address in the course of your treatment. Many times in clinics, an issue will flare up at a certain point in a person’s menstrual cycle that can help paint a picture of what’s going on from a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective.
2. How’s your libido lately?
This question may seem a bit forward, but it’s actually quite helpful in assessing issues centered around fatigue and getting a general sense of how your system is working (especially from a TCM perspective). Low libido could be caused by any range of patterns but generally, we tend to look at the energetics of the kidneys first, as that’s their territory and then go from there. TCM kidney deficiency can lead to several issues throughout the body, as well as its effect on libido, and can be an early sign that the channel or organ needs to be supported.
1. How ‘bout them bowel movements?
This may seem strange and a bit unrelated, but trust them when they say it’s an important question with an important answer. Sticky or hard to pass stools can mean your digestion is off and they may be able to help. And then on the other side of the issue, the stools that pass too easily and too frequently, like diarrhea, are also something that we’re looking for and can help with.
Find out more about acupuncture here. And now that you’ve learned why they ask, go find yourself an acupuncturist!
