If you have surfed the internet lately or watched the VMAs this year, then you have definitely seen Miley Cyrus’s tongue. As an acupuncturist in Irvine, I look at the tongue on a daily basis as a diagnostic tool; the tongue is reflective of overall health. I kept seeing Miley’s tongue and decided this would be a great opportunity to show how the tongue changes.

On the outside, Miley looks beautiful and healthy, but looking at these two pictures of her tongue, you don’t need a Master’s Degree in Oriental Medicine to see that her health may be on a decline.

Now let’s take a closer look…

In the photo on the left Miley’s tongue is pink, there is the beginning of a thick coat in the back of the tongue, a crack down the center, and she has a slight red tip, and her gums look pink and healthy; overall this picture of her shows she may have some health concerns that need to be addressed, but overall the outlook is good.

The photo on the right shows a completely different story: her tongue and gums are pale, there is a wet, thick, and greasy coat, the tip is significantly red (the coat is peeled here), and her tongue is swollen and large.

According to the book, Tongue Diagnosis in Chinese Medicine, by Giovanni Maciocia; Maciocia states:

“Clinical manifestations of…a pale wet tongue include lack of appetite, abdominal distension, lassitude, a bright, white complexion, loose stools, coldness in the limbs…a pale wet tongue accompanied by a sticky coating all over may indicate obstruction of the spirit by phlegm, which may manifest in severe anxiety or mild manic behavior.”

Maciocia goes on to say that, “a red tongue tip is usually associated with Heart fire; the darker the tip, the more severe the condition…this condition is usually associated with persisting emotional problems such as depression, repressed anger, or resentment.”

A person with this type of tongue is not just going to manifest physical symptoms, but emotional ones as well. In Miley’s case, I hope she heeds the warning her tongue is so desperately displaying.

Our tongue is a road map to overall health. I realized the validity of this in my own life when I was in graduate school and my professor pulled me aside and said that I had a very serious illness, long before Western Medicine could diagnose anything. Luckily for me, I was able to make changes and avoid a major illness.

Have you looked at your tongue lately? What is it trying to tell you? Schedule an appointment with your acupuncturist today and find out!

Lori Sibbers, L.Ac.
Acupuncturist Irvine
Orange County, California
Phone: (949) 766-9228
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