Why We Look at Your Tongue

Have you ever been asked to stick out your tongue during an acupuncture or Chinese medicine consultation? It may seem unusual, but in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), your tongue is more than just a muscle — it’s a mirror of your internal health. At Warrnambool Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, tongue diagnosis is one of the key tools we use to understand your body’s balance and guide your personalised treatment.

In TCM, we use four main methods of diagnosis: asking questions, observing, feeling the pulse, and looking at the tongue. The tongue gives us important clues about our digestive health, energy levels, fluid balance, circulation, and organ function — all without any invasive procedures.

What We Look At During a Tongue Check

Colour

• Pale: May suggest low energy or blood deficiency

• Red: Could indicate heat or inflammation

• Purple or Bluish: May reflect poor circulation or blood stagnation

Shape

• Swollen with teeth marks: Possible digestive weakness or fluid retention

• Thin: Could suggest a lack of fluids (Yin deficiency)

• Pointed tip: May reflect emotional stress or internal heat

Coating

• Thin white: Normal

• Thick white: May point to dampness or phlegm

• Yellow: Often suggests internal heat or digestive upset

Moisture

• Dry: May reflect fluid or Yin deficiency

• Wet or greasy: Could indicate dampness or fluid retention

Cracks

• Cracks in specific regions: Can relate to areas needing more nourishment

• Central cracks: Often linked to digestive imbalances

• Tip cracks: May reflect heart or emotional strain

Why Tongue Diagnosis Matters

Each part of your tongue is connected to a specific organ system:

• Tip – Heart and lungs

• Centre – Spleen and stomach

• Sides – Liver and gallbladder

• Back – Kidneys and bladder

These areas help us pinpoint where imbalances may be present in your body. While we don’t use the tongue to diagnose disease in a Western sense, it does guide us in developing a treatment plan that supports your unique constitution.

At Warrnambool Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, we use tongue diagnosis in combination with pulse reading, health history, and lifestyle review. This allows us to create a treatment plan that might include:

• Acupuncture

• Herbal medicine

• Dietary and lifestyle guidance

All designed to support your body’s natural healing ability.

So next time we say “Stick out your tongue,” know we’re just checking in with your body’s natural signals to offer you the best personalised care.