A Different Kind of Lab Test: The Acupuncturist Method of Diagnosing Illness
When you visit your acupuncturist, he or she will not draw blood samples or any other tests you are used to when visiting your doctor. Acupuncturists, unlike Western medical doctors, rely more on their own intuition to diagnosis a patient. Of course, many acupuncturists will tell you that this is not fool proof, and so acupuncture almost always works best in conjunction with typical medicines. Acupuncturists typically use an eight-step method to diagnosis their patients, although some may use more techniques and others may use less. They use their senses to do this, rather than using chemicals in a lab setting.
First, an acupuncturist listens by asking you many questions about yourself. He or she will ask things that a typical doctor would ask, such as about your sleep patterns or about any pains you are experiencing. Acupuncturists also ask about bladder and bowel movements, tastes, sexual activity, medical history, exercise routine, diet, and other health-relating things. Lastly, they will ask about your emotions, since there is a deep spiritual connection to health in the Chinese tradition. During this time, he or she also listens to your voice, which can be another indicator of health-we all know quite well that you sometimes lose your voice when you have a cold, even if your throat does not hurt. As they are doing this questioning, they are also using a second sense-looking-to evaluate your health.
An acupuncturist looks at many things to help choose a course of action for your acupuncture session. He or she evaluates body movements, such as posture, the way you walk into the office, and hand movements. The tongue is also studied, as it shows many signs of illness. Face color is third typical “look” type of evaluation.
The acupuncturist next employs the senses of smell to measure your health. Every person has a typical body scent. This does not necessarily mean you stink, but you may realize that one person’s sweat smells quite different from another’s. Women also smell differently at different times in their menstrual cycle. Acupuncturists learn to distinguish between different odors as well as learn to rate the strength or your odor.
Lastly, an acupuncturist is concerned with touch. He or she may take your pulse and judge it’s speed, strength, and unique characteristics. As a final step, your own evaluation to touch will be evaluated. For example, does pain feel better or worse when you apply pressure? What about heat?
After taking all of these things into consideration, your acupuncturist will probably discus his or her findings with you. If he or she does not, you can ask if you are curious. Don’t be surprised if the answer is overwhelmingly complex-trust your acupuncturist to decide upon the best course of action by implementing the various skills he or she has been taught in school.
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