Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is one of the oldest forms of medicine in the world, physicians apply a unique way to examine and interpret a person's illness or state of health. TCM diagnostics is a study of the theories, methods and techniques of diagnosis used in TCM. Its rich content has formed the foundation of all branches of TCM.

In a TCM diagnostic process, the physician relies on sensory perceptions to gather clinical information, and then analyzes and concludes a syndrome pattern as clinical diagnosis. Without resorting to any apparatus, the physician diagnose internal pathological (disease) changes by observation of external signs. The Chinese believe the human body is an organic whole; all parts are connected with each other by the meridian system. The internal is related with the external, and the exterior with the interior. Pathological changes inside the body are reflected externally as abnormalities of the complexion, vitality, tongue, pulse etc. TCM physicians refer to this as "determining the internal disturbance by observing external signs."

Over the centuries, TCM physicians has accumulated special knowledge about how the body parts are interacting or influencing each other. For example, if pathological changes occur in the organs or any part of the body, a tender point would appear in the corresponding body surface. If the tender point can be discovered by pressing, it can be inferred which internal organ or part of the body has undergone pathological changes. To understand this holistic approach, one should first review the fundamental basis of TCM diagnosis:

1. Observing diseases by taking the body as a whole

When physicians examining patients, they bear two points in mind. Firstly, attention is paid to the interrelation and interaction between localized pathology and the whole body, TCM holistic approach always associates localized pathology with overall body reactions. Physicians not only concern about local pathology and its corresponding internal organ, they also consider the influence on unaffected body parts, so as to predict the disease progression. The clinical manifestations of disease are a result of the overall body reactions. Secondly, observing the patient in the context of his or her surroundings. The body communicates with the external environment constantly, factors such as weather, geographic location, working and family environments can all affect our health. when internal disharmony makes the body failing to adapt external changes, or when extreme external changes go beyond the body’s adaptation, then diseases are resulted.

2. Comprehensive analysis through four examination skills

During a consultation, TCM physicians apply four examination skills to obtain clinical information, namely inquiring, inspection, listening and smelling, and palpation. (Read: What to Expect from a TCM Doctor’s Examination?) For example, the patient will be asked about personal and family history, and the symptoms experienced; inspection of the patient will allow them to check for abnormal changes in the patient’s vitality, complexion, physical condition and behavior; physicians also look for changes in the patient’s voice and odors. The four examination skills have their own unique clinical functions and cannot be replaced by one another. It is importance to apply all the four skills and check systematically on the patient, so as to gather the necessary information for diagnosis. Physician will go through comprehensive analysis on the condition, arrive a TCM diagnosis that not only reveals the cause of disease, but also indicates the course of disease development and prognosis.

3.Combining diagnosis of diseases with differentiation of syndromes

This calls for the diagnosis of both a disease and a syndrome. In the viewpoint of modern Western medicine, doctors identify a disease based on the symptoms and laboratory test results of a patient. However, a TCM physician identifies a syndrome, which is a complex pattern of signs and symptoms that manifest at a given stage of the disease. Syndrome differentiation is the premise and foundation of TCM treatment. Often a TCM practitioner will diagnose both a disease and a syndrome (disharmony pattern). The name of a disease suggests its entire course of pathological changes whereas the name of a syndrome reflects the pathology of a disease at a certain stage. The syndrome usually reveals the location, cause, development mechanism and nature of the disease, which are more closely related to the real health needs of patients. That’s why TCM physicians may use both their understanding of the course of a particular disease, followed by the differentiation and diagnosis of syndromes, when prescribing treatment.