General Examination

For the proper diagnosis of diseases, the mental condition, facial complexion, physical
constitution, sense organs and tongue coating all should be carefully examined.
Through clinical practice over a long period of time, traditional Chinese physicians
have found a close relationship between manifestations on the body surface and the
functioning of the internal organs. Therefore, the examination of the appearance of
body's surface is very useful for understanding pathological changes in the human
body. However, extemal appearances are only superficial manifestations of disease
and cannot show all its pathological properties. Therefore, a disease can be correctly
diagnosed only after combining a general examination with other essential diagnostic
techniques.

The feet should be carefully monitored for deformity, papule, changes in skin color,
varicose veins, corns, tinea pedis or calluses which could indicate the presence of
pathological changes in other parts of the body.

Examination of Skin:

Generally, the skin of the foot is rougher than the skin at any other part of the body.
Abnormalities found on the skin of the foot may reflect pathological changes in the
correspondent organs.

Examination may reveal the following lesions: Corns, rhagns, tinea pedis, plantar wart,
wound, blister, burn lesion, venous aneurysm, nodule, papule, pigmentation,
depression, desquamation, congestion, callus, edema, pustule, ulcer, keratinization,
scar, flushing skin, or exudation as well as deformity and discoloration of the toe nails.
The normal nail is smooth, shiny, hard and arc shaped. In a normal nail, the red color
beneath it will fade away when pressure is applied to the nail, but will immediately be
restored. Abnormal changes in the nails can be evidence of pathological changes
occurring in the body. For example, an extremely downward curving nail may
indicate the presence of a malignant tumor in the body; an inwardly curving nail may
indicate alcoholism; a flat nail which fails to regain its color underneath after pressure
is relieved and with a reduced semilunar area may indicate the presence of heart
diseases; vertical creases may appear on the nails in people who are overfatigued
from an irregular lifestyle or in patients with nervous system and respiratory
symptoms; and horizontal creases may appear either before or after a critical disease.

The semilunar area of the nail can also indicate the body's general health. The height
of this area in normal people is equal to one fifth the length of the nail. In patients
with heart disease and hypertension, the semilunar area is greater than one fifth, and
in patients with anemia, the height is much less than one fifth the length of the nail.
General Examination
Copyright TCM Discovery Net Please contact us if you want to reprint the articles

Examination of Tissue:

Because the foot is closely related to the entire body, the foot tissue may also reflect
diseases of the internal organs. For example, edema and blood congestion usually
appear in the ankle and Achilles tendon region, where the correspondent areas of
internal organs in the chest and pelvic cavities are.

The Edema of the ankle region usually appears in patients with diseases of the kidney,
heart or circulatory system, or in patients with blood congestion in the pelvic cavity
due to disturbance of the veins, arteries, or lymphatic vessels, or of the nervous or
endocrinal systems. Some small fatty polyps also may be found on both dorsums of
the feet near the roots of the toes.

Examination of Bones:

Abnormal bones in the foot may produce general discomfort of the body.

A flat foot may affect the reflecting areas of the shoulder, spinal column and
circulatory system; a right flat foot may affect the reflecting areas of the gallbladder
and biliary tract, and a left flat foot may affect the reflecting area of the heart.

The talipes valgus may affect the reflecting areas of the thyroid gland and the cervical.

A deformity of big toe or other toes may affect the reflecting areas of the head and
teeth.

Abnormal shape and tissue of the nails with fungal infection may affect the reflecting
area of the head.

Sprain or congestion of the ankle joint may affect the reflecting areas of the pelvic
cavity and hip joint.



More wonderful, perfect and authoritative information, please click here:


Service Help of Health and TCM Study




General Examination
Copyright TCM Discovery Net Please contact us if you want to reprint the articles
Extensive Reading
The most effective slimming capsule in 2009- New feeling!
Herbal Prescription 2 for Preventing Influenza-A H1N1!
TCM inquiry: the most consummate disease database in our country
TCM knows: health life should be talked freely
TCM and life: life-cultivation and nourishment of face
Mild Reminder
Ten days Qigong Study Tour
Gongfu and Painting Tour
Guilin Health Tours
science of prescription-wipping through the old to bring forth
TCM diagnosis


General Examination
Copyright TCM Discovery Net Please contact us if you want to reprint the articles