Part of my naturopathic assessment includes the area that we call physical observations, and can include tongue, nails, eyes, skin and facial assessment. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, various areas of the face, as you can see in this chart here are mapped and connected to various organs in the body. If there is a dysfunction, inflammation, or issue with one of these areas, it often presents itself in the face. For example, breakouts or rashes along the jawline usually signals a hormonal imbalance, while swelling, “bags” or inflammation under the eyes could indicate a kidney or adrenal issue. Typically, I assess starting at the ears, then forehead, and work my way down to the neck. We not only look for breakouts or rashes, but also lines, discolorations, and spots. For example, one client that I worked with had deep lines and a bit of discoloration in the pancreas region of the face, which is the area between the eyes; she was also having sleeping issues, waking up at around 4 am every day. Her tongue assessment showed a deep crack down the middle of the tongue, and she often complained of feeling tired, weak and dizzy throughout the day.
With these simple assessments, we were able to determine that she was having trouble managing her blood sugar. The pancreas is the key organ involved in blood sugar regulation, and her facial analysis indicated issues here. A deep crack down the middle of the tongue often indicates digestive issues, which is also impacted by blood sugar levels in the body. Irregular sleep patterns, particularly waking up at very early hours of the morning can mean the body is being disrupted by circulating levels of insulin. Finally, her intake form complaints and symptoms were also key indicators of blood sugar regulation dysfunction. We began tracking her blood sugar levels at home, and a dysregulation was confirmed; with a targeted protocol/plan, this client began feeling better within days!
Something else that is fascinating in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is the association of emotions and organ function, which works similarly to facial mapping analysis. This client did also have other areas we notated for support, including the inflammation under her eyes and her kidney/adrenal area. She was not drinking enough water, and with the sleep pattern issues, she was exhausted. The emotion that correlates to the kidneys in TCM is fear and worry; during our consult this client indicated that she was feeling worrisome about her health, and the dizzy spells were starting to make her feel fearful and exhausted. Her face analysis indicated struggles in this very area, so we were also able to put together a support plan for her kidneys/adrenals, along with Bach Flower Essences for these emotional imbalances (another blog forthcoming on the amazing powers of Bach Flowers!)
Feel free to reach out through my Work With Me Page if you have any questions or are ready to address some nagging health concerns, or just want to optimize where you are already at!
I offer free consultations to help you determine what steps to take going forward, and I love to meet and chat with those interested in connecting with themselves on a cleaner, deeper level!
