Hands
The quality of the nails and colour of the skin are useful to note.
Tremors of the hand are usually due to Liver Wind (usually a result of long term stress).
Symptom | Indication |
Pale nails | Blood deficiency |
Purple nails | Blood stagnation (Liver) |
White spots on nails | Qi deficiency |
Dark red or purple hands | Cold or poor circulation (stagnation or yang deficiency |
Skin/Oedema
The skin is primarily influenced by the Lung and nourished by the Liver Blood, although the Spleen and Kidneys play parts as well. Dry skin is usually a wood or metal issue, while greasy skin indicates Damp or Phlegm (usually earth or wood) and Eczema is usually an earth, wood or metal issue.
Tissue swelling, or oedema, is divided into Water oedema or Qi oedema.
When a finger is pressed into the swelling and it leaves a dent, it is Water oedema due to Kidney Yang deficiency (often with concurrent Spleen and Lung weakness). If no dent remains, it is Qi oedema due to Qi stagnation.