What Your Tongue Is Telling You About Your Circulation, From An Acupuncturist

It's a pretty standard practice in the ancient healing philosophy. "We have whole classes on tongue diagnosis," says nationally board-certified acupuncturist Paige Bourassa, DACM, L.Ac., RHN, on this episode of the mindbodygreen podcast. The tongue, it turns out, can be a helpful tool that actually speaks to your health and well-being (more in a minute). A healthy tongue muscle, she notes, is typically bright pink, moist, and a little glistening. A pale, discolored tongue? Well, you may have an issue with blood flow and circulation. Here's how to tell, and what you can do about it.  

Specifically, there's a whole tongue map you can parse through, with each region connected to a different area of the body. "There are areas for the liver. There are areas for the heart, the stomach, the spleen, the kidneys," Bourassa notes. "You can see all of these different parts and diagnose by color." 

Of course, we can't say with utter conviction that if you have a pale tongue, you have poor blood flow. But if you're noticing some other sluggish symptoms (think low energy, cold hands, or digestive issues), a good, long look at your tongue can perhaps clue you in. The next step would be to consult a professional to help deal with these issues, whatever that may be. Remember: Tongue reading is a sign, not a solution—it's the first step toward identifying imbalances in your body, but then it's up to you to do the work. To follow the TCM route, look here for acupuncture, exercise, and food therapies to move stagnant energy and get your blood flowing. 

According to ancient TCM practices, your tongue has a lot to say about your overall well-being. If your tongue color aligns with some poor symptoms you're feeling, it may be worth investigating further. Although, try not to jump into "pathology mentality," as Bourassa puts it; everyone's tongues come in different shapes, colors, and sizes, and that's totally fine! Try not to compare—just notice how yours changes over time, and stay attuned to what the muscle is trying to tell you.

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