There are many differences between Western allopathic medicine and traditional Chinese medicine but also significant similarities. One area of overlap is the emphasis on accurate diagnosis as a prerequisite for effective therapy. Nowadays, acupuncturists and herbalists do make use of laboratory tests and Xrays when they are available, but they use other traditional methods of diagnosis which Western doctors don’t employ or even understand. For over two thousand years traditional Chinese doctors have focused their attention and analytic skills on making diagnostic sense of patterns of subtle signs and symptoms which appear long before there are pathological changes to the structure of the body or the biochemistry of the blood. Chinese doctors are trained to identify and treat these underlying root “patterns of disharmony”, not just the symptoms which result from the disruption of healthy functioning.

Our health can start to deteriorate without there being evidence that a blood test or an X-ray can detect. We have all had the experience of being told everything is normal ( or “it’s just in your head”) when we are feeling bad and know we are not healthy. This is the territory where Chinese medicine excels. Doesn’t it make sense to treat the energetic imbalances which lead to disease and impairment before they cause permanent damage?

One of the main methods of diagnosing problems in our method of medicine is by examining and interpreting subtle changes in the radial pulse. The skill of accurately diagnosing using this method of pulse diagnosis takes many years to master and is sometimes criticized as being subjective and non scientific, but can provide great insight into the energetic condition of the body.

For many years scientists have worked to devise a method to replicate the incredible subtlety of pulse diagnosis with a more objective, verifiable scientific method. This office uses the latest generation device, known as the Acugraph Digitial Meridian Imaging System. The device can accurately measure extremely subtle variations in electrical impedence in the various pulse positions and via complex algorhythms converts this into an visual graph image of the energy levels of each of the twelve channels which are the root and basis of Oriental energetic medicine. This graphic interface enables doctors to both detect problems at a very early stage, long before symptoms appear, and also to graph and record changes and progress toward successful resolution of health issues.

In our office we employ all the traditional methods of diagnosis, including pulse reading, abdominal and channel palpation, tongue diagnosis, detailed medical histories and the analysis of Western lab tests and imaging – plus the information attainable thru the Acugraph imaging system. It is a tremendous advantage to have access to this technology.