On Sunday, February 13^th, practitioners of Chinese medicine will gather for the Ninth Community Chinese Medical Health Screening.

The event is free and open to the general public.

Whereas a Western medical health screening might check blood pressure and cholesterol, this Chinese medical health screening will check pulses, look at tongues, ears, and physiognomy, and conduct personal interviews. At the end of the screening, participants will leave with a personalized report full of diagnostic information that will serve as an enduring record of their current health status.

The Screening, part of the Pine Street Foundation’s Community Education program, is an event designed to engage the general public on integrative health issues; it empowers individuals with information and demonstrates the value of incorporating additional medical modalities into one’s pursuit of optimal health.

Chinese medicine is currently one of the most popular alternative health strategies in the United States, used by as many as 33% of adults. The annual Chinese Medical Health Screening allows the public – both those unfamiliar with Chinese Medicine and those that have used it for decades – to explore, experience, and deepen their understanding in a free, non-committal, and relaxed atmosphere.

At the Health Screening, there will be six diagnostic stations (pulse, tongue, ear, physiognomy, interview, and summary), each featuring a technique commonly used in Chinese medicine. These techniques, many of them also common in the Western clinical practice until relatively recently, offer individuals new insight and perspective into their health status.

THE DIAGNOSTIC STATIONS

PULSE: This delicate technique provides early indication of functional imbalances and is usually how a practitioner will make the first determination as to the site, cause, and condition of a patient’s problem. Pulse is also used to observe the specific effects of treatment, which is helpful in the immediate follow-up of any therapeutic measures taken.

TONGUE: Examination of the tongue for signs of systemic disease was used in ancient Greece and persisted in Western medicine through the 19th Century. By observation of the tongue itself, the condition of the organs and the strength of a condition can be inferred.

EAR: In Chinese medicine, the ear is not isolated but rather closely linked to the condition of the other organs. When internal organs are injured or ailing, some abnormal phenomena will manifest at corresponding points on the ear.

PHYSIOGNOMY: Physiognomy can reveal to the practitioner that which cannot easily be seen by the patient; the eyes convey a person’s spirit, facial coloration can be indicative of past experiences, the teeth tend to mirror the state of the kidneys, and the bridge of the nose, the pulsation of the nostrils, and the condition of the mucous membranes all reflect the state of the lungs, spleen, and stomach. Observations of facial expression, complexion, bearing, quality of voice, and alertness also provide valuable information to the practitioner.

INTERVIEW & SUMMARY: At the Interview station, information not found at the above diagnostic stations is gleaned (such as lifestyle and dietary trends), and at the Summary station, all the information from the other stations is distilled, integrated, and the prevailing pattern is revealed.

The Health Screening will also feature live music and highly engaging workshops throughout the day on Nutrition, the Spring Season, and Qigong. These workshops, like the Screening, are free and open to the general public. No RSVP is necessary to attend the workshops.

WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

10 am Qi Gong with Denise Aubin 
11 am Cinese Medicine and the winter Season with Johanna Altgelt LAc

1 pm am Making an Herbal First Aid Kit with Lindsey Hayes LAc 
2 pm Qi Gong with Jennifer Clemons ND, LAc