Spring Series Webinars with Karen Allen CCH. Adjuncts In Constitutional Care: Stick Out Your Tongue!

Transcription

1 Spring Series Webinars with Karen Allen CCH Adjuncts In Constitutional Care: Stick Out Your Tongue!

2 Roadmap for Our Training Session Today Physiology as a client interview tool The role of the tongue in the body Developing Your Assessment Skills Tongue: color, shape, coating, cracking, veins Interpreting appearance Bridging into materia medica and repertory Taking care in how we discuss with clients Further resources for learning

3 Physiology As An Assessment Tool Let's own our bias we like the good stuff, the interesting stuff, the weird stuff, and we are conditioned by our culture to assign priority to the mental emotional state The physiology deserves attention also! It provides a connection to groupings of remedies (i.e. flouric constitution or syphilitic maism) It is unlikely to be misunderstood / misinterpreted due to the nature of the client / practitioner interaction It doesn't lie due to guilt, shame, etc

4 All About Tongues... Functional organ in the mouth: tastes, articulates for eating and speech, and to clean the teeth. Avg length = 4 Specific tissue / taste buds, kept moist with saliva High density of nerves and blood vessels Frontal 2/3 of tongue directed forward, muscles move it up and down. Posterior 1/3 of tongue directed backward, connected to larynx, epiglottis. These 2 parts have different tissue, are ennervated differently While the tongue can have its own pathology (leukoplakia, oral candidiasis, burning mouth syndrome etc), it's appearance show us about other body parts...

5 Developing Your Skills First step is to begin observing: Ask clients to show you their tongue (in person, on skype, in a photo) What is the color (pink, red, purple, pale)? What do the margins look like (smooth or scalloped)? Is there any kind of coating (where and what color)? Is there any kind of cracking on the surface? Are there visible dots on the surface (papillae)? What does the undersurface look like / veins?

6 What Is the Color? Normal color should be a light pink RED? Think inflammation / fever / irritated tissues WHITE? Think anemia / chlorosis PURPLE? Think stagnation

7 Remember Chlorosis?

8 What Do the Margins Look Like? A healthy tongue will have smooth margins Scalloped edges suggest water imbalance look for other indicators of swelling / fluid retention Scalloped edges suggest weak spleen look for other indicators of spleen weakness

9 Is There Any Kind of Coating? Coating indicates phlegm, hydrogenoid weakness Our repertory identifies white / gray / yellow Investigate implications of uric acid diathesis Look for any symptoms in the mucosa (sinuses, vaginal vault) or indicators of opportunistic bacteria Black coating may be due to pepto-bismol

10 Is There Any Kind of Cracking? Look for cracks crack down center Look at the position and arrangement The more extensive the cracking, the greater the suggestion of dehydration look for broader indicators of water balance and deficiency

11 Are There Visible Dots on Surface? Papillae can become elevated and apparent On back of tongue likely to be normal no worries Around sides and tip look at liver and circulatory system (heart) for indicators of disturbance Only on R side look for liver disturbance in the case

12 What Does the Underside Look Like? Veins under tongue should be half or less along length of the tongue If they are longer, look for other varicosities, circulatory system or venous system may need support Consider the conditions of the spleen

13 Our Homeopathic Repertory Repertory Spend much time in the Mouth section? What are the implications of a CLEAN tongue

14 Our Homeopathic Repertory Repertory Check out Coating Rubrics...

15 Our Homeopathic Repertory Repertory Check out Cracking Rubrics...

16 Our Homeopathic Repertory Repertory Check out Coloration Rubrics

17 Our Homeopathic Repertory Repertory Check out Tongue Margin Rubrics

18 Our Homeopathic Materia Medica References Materia Medica When you review references, begin to notice what is written about the appearance of a tongue Notice when you see a remedy with circulatory issues, are there tongue symptoms listed? Notice when you see a remedy listed with lots of phlegmy discharges, are tongue symptoms listed? Notice when you see a remedy with liver or spleen issues, are tongu symptoms listed?

19 What Do We Say to Clients? I'd like to look at your tongue can you show me? I see... have you noticed this before? Based on what I see, there may be... let's explore... Let's monitor this as we move forward Not appropriate to say: Anything that sounds like a diagnosis (name of any disease) Anything that sounds (or could be interpreted as) judgemental Anything that sounds alarming (think of a dentist saying oops)

20 SO... are you ready to begin? Look at your own tongue daily Begin to monitor all aspects of your own tongue's appearance, see how it changes and begin to associate it with other factors in your own health and physiological function Begin to use the repertory to investigate your tongue symptoms Once you are comfortable, begin to check client tongues: Note the appearance in the chart (does it change over time?) Use this in your remedy confirmations and differentials check the repertory and get familiar with the rubrics Begin to understand tongue appearance as a window into the body Make notes in your materia medica when you see a strong change in the tongue following a remedy

21 Webinar: Stick Out Your Tongue Adjuncts in Constitutional Care June 19, 2014 This document serves as verification that : has completed 1 hour of training with Karen Allen CCH in homeopathic client assessment and analysis. These hours can be used to meet the pre-requisite formal training or continuing education criteria for the Council for Homeopathic Certification. Please print and keep as your record of attendance.