Oriental Medicine is a complete medical system which uses acupuncture and nutritional therapy to improve well-being, prevent disease, and diagnose and treat illness. It is beneficial for physical, psychological and spiritual issues. This mind/body/spirit medicine originated in China more than 3,000 years ago. Its proven effectiveness has been embraced throughout the world. Tongue and pulse diagnosis are two of the more important diagnostic tools in Chinese medicine. They are both used to derive a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) diagnosis for your condition, which is used to plan your treatment. Pulse diagnosis is felt on the radial pulse. There are 12 pulses felt, one for each meridian. The quality, speed, regularity and depth of each pulse is determined and felt. Generally tongue diagnosis is less subjective than pulse diagnosis. It is less meridian-specific than the pulse; however, the tongue will show more organ-related imbalances. It also reveals the depth and nature (hot, cold, etc.) of an imbalance and it is less affected by short-term influences such as nervousness. The tongue is also useful as a measurement tool to gauge the progress of a disorder. Shallow and deep palpation of the abdomen is used in traditional Asian medicine. The abdomen is used to test for tension, pain, or congestion within the intestines, which can effect the whole body. The abdomen can be retested to show effectiveness of the acupuncture points used in the treatment.

Specific acupuncture points can be tested and palpated prior to your acupuncture treatment. They are palpated for pain, tension, "hollowness" or "fullness." These acupuncture points are determined as useful or not useful within your treatment. You might be asked how they feel subjectively to you.

You will sense the changes in your body and start to feel your body's energy system, through bringing awareness to your body and your meridian system. You can find yourself extremely sensitive to your body's energy, or it can take several sessions to become aware of your body at all.

Sara Kendall Gordon holds a Master's Degree in Traditional Oriental Medicine from the Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Medicine in Santa Monica, CA., and currently is involved in a doctorate program for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at Five Branches Institute in San Jose.

Sara's vision is to heal our ability to heal ourselves. Her mission is to encourage the emergence of health, insight, and wholeness through her synthesis of East and West, ancient and modern, physical and energetic.