Each of these patterns requires a completely different set of acupuncture points and herbal formula. Treating a Blood Deficiency migraine with the points for Liver Yang Rising would provide no benefit — and might even make things worse.
How Dr. Purohit identifies your pattern
Pattern differentiation is not guesswork — it is a sophisticated diagnostic process. At Spectrum WellCare, the process begins with a comprehensive intake that covers your symptoms in detail: when they occur, what makes them better or worse, associated symptoms like temperature preference, thirst, sleep quality, digestion, and emotional state. This level of detail would seem excessive in a conventional medical appointment but is absolutely essential in TCM because these details are what distinguish one pattern from another.
Pulse diagnosis adds another layer — the quality, depth, and character of the pulse at six positions on each wrist provides information about the state of specific organ systems that supplements and sometimes contradicts what the patient reports consciously.
Tongue diagnosis confirms and refines the picture — the color, coating, shape, and moisture of the tongue reflects the state of the internal environment in ways that can be quite striking once you know what to look for.
The synthesis of all this information — symptoms, pulse, tongue, and health history — produces a pattern diagnosis that guides both the acupuncture treatment and the Harmonize herbal prescription.
Why this matters for your treatment
Pattern differentiation is why TCM can be effective for complex, chronic conditions that don't respond to standardized treatments. It is also why the quality of your practitioner matters enormously. A practitioner who applies the same basic protocol to every patient with a given condition is not practicing pattern differentiation — they are applying a standardized protocol that happens to use acupuncture needles instead of pills.
True pattern differentiation requires a thorough diagnostic process, deep knowledge of TCM theory, and the clinical experience to synthesize complex information into an accurate pattern diagnosis. This is what Dr. Purohit practices at Spectrum WellCare — and it is the foundation of why patients who have not responded to acupuncture elsewhere sometimes respond well here.
Related: acupuncture for gut health and IBS in Orlando FL · acupuncture for migraines in MetroWest Orlando · Dr. Ajay Purohit DTCM — acupuncture physician Orlando
Dr. Ajay Purohit, DTCM, MPH · Licensed Acupuncture Physician AP 2734 · Spectrum WellCare · 2295 S. Hiawassee Rd, Suite 207 · MetroWest Orlando FL 32835 · 407-347-5038