Pulse taking is one of the most important aspects in determining the correct course of treatment. Practitioners will feel the pulse at multiple locations from both the right and left radial artery at the wrist. Each location represents a different organ and any underlying imbalance or illness associated with each can be felt.
When palpating a pulse, a practitioner must consider the pulse rate, subtle variations between the depths of each location and the normal variations that may occur due to external influences, gender, constitution and age. Each pulse is indicative of certain imbalances or disease with in the body. Find more information about pulse diagnosis here.
Many people are surprised to learn that the inner health of a person is represented by the appearance of the tongue. Practitioners will look at color, body, shape and coating. For example, a swollen tongue could mean an abundance of fluid or a red tongue signifies more heat. A heavy coating means digestion is not functioning properly and there could be internal accumulation. Read a more in-depth explanation on tongue diagnosis here.