Deconstructing the ice-covered tongue, the patient's tongue is covered with moss on the surface of the tongue in the shape of an ice-covered tongue, and the disease mechanism is mostly Yang deficiency and cold condensation or Yang deficiency and cold stasis.

An ice cap is an extremely thick layer of ice that covers a large area, greater than 50,000 square kilometers, as shown below:

I call the tongue with moss all over the surface of the tongue the ice-covered tongue, and its pathology is mostly Yang deficiency and cold condensation, Yang deficiency and cold stasis.
In a normal tongue, there is not as much tongue moss on the tip and sides of the tongue, whereas in an ice-capped tongue the tip and sides of the tongue tend to be wrapped in tongue moss as well. Why is this so, and what is the principle of generating an ice-covered tongue?
Because the liver belongs to the wood qi, wood qi more hair, water qi in this is not easy to stay, and the liver and gallbladder within the send phase fire, here the force of hair is stronger.
And the tip of the tongue belongs to the heart, the heart fire needless to say, the heart fire yang qi is the most prosperous, the water can not stay more, so the tongue is also less.
The root of the tongue belongs to Kidney water, which is more watery, and the tongue coating is relatively thick.
Insufficient yang qi, water cannot be vaporized to form cold and dampness distributed on the tongue surface, which forms the ice-covered tongue. Cold and dampness are stagnant, and more cold stasis is formed.

I. The redefinition of the ice-covered tongue: the ultimate form of yang's immobilization

1. Breakthroughs in traditional perceptions

• ​Textbook definitions: Tongue full of moss = Dampness and turbidity congestion, but clinical findings:
  • In patients with ice-covered tongue, the tongue texture is more tender (deficiency of yang qi) than fat (congestion of phlegm-dampness).
  • The tip and sides of the tongue are covered with moss (Heart fire is curbed, Liver wood is out of control)
• ​Modern Verification: Tongue flora assay shows reduced diversity of yang-deficient tongue flora (Nature Microbiology 2023 data).

2. Four elements of ice sheet tongue generation

① Deficiency of yang qi (kidney yang deficiency)
② Water and fluid metabolism disorders (spleen and kidney yang deficiency)
③ Cold-congealed blood stasis (dark tongue)
④ Stagnation of Qi (Liver Depression affecting the Spleen).  

---

​Second, 14 tongue mapping analysis and conditioning program

1. Classification of typical ice sheet tongues

Here's a look at specific tongue signs. Some of the tongue interpretations have appeared in this article, looking at the tongue from a different perspective.

Technique | Deconstructing Thick and Greasy Moss in Tongue Diagnosis (with 18 illustrations of tongue images and Turbidizing Soup)

Specific prescription medication will be written less, you choose according to their own medication habits, mainly to provide a treatment ideas.

2. Medication logic

​Tongue Characteristics	​core pathogenesis	​Recommended Formulas
Tongue covered with darkness like ice	deficiency of kidney yang and cold condensation (TCM)	Golden Chamber Kidney Qi Pills + Pill with Parsley Seeds
Red spots on the tip of the tongue with teeth marks	lit. on the upper side it is hot, on the lower side it is cold	Sublime Yang Sealing Marrow Pill + Jiaotai Pill
The tongue is bulging and the moss is white and greasy.	lit. liver depression, cold and stasis of blood (TCM)	Chai Hu Gui Zhi Tang + Peach Kernel and Safflower Decoction
Cracks in the tongue and thick, greasy moss	Spleen deficiency, phlegm and stasis intermingle (TCM)	Xiangsha Liu Jun Zi Tang + Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan

3. Application of Huanfu Tang in Ice-capped Tongue

• ​addition and subtraction rules::
  • For heavy cold, add dry ginger and fine pungent (to break the yin and haze)
  • Add Panax notoginseng and leeches (to open the veins).
  • Add Astragalus and Red Ginseng for Qi deficiency (to strengthen the fundamentals)
• ​mnemonic chant::
  "Ice-covered tongue, Yang deficiency and cold, Jin Gui Kidney Qi as a boat sail;
  Huanfeng Tang, Ginseng, Cao Gui, Chai Hoven, Houpu to break the qi barrier."

---

​Third, the common misunderstandings of modern people and crack the way

1. Three fatal misconceptions

• ​Myth 1: Use dampness-drying medicine if you see white, greasy moss.
  • ​correct solution (a math. equation): tongue pale and tender with white coating → Yang deficiency of Spleen and Kidney, need Zhen Wu Tang + Ba Ji Tian
• ​Myth 2: Use medicines to invigorate blood circulation and eliminate blood stasis if the tongue is dark.
  • ​correct solution (a math. equation)Dark tongue with cold fear → cold congealed blood stasis, need Angelica Si Reverse Tang + mugwort leaf
• ​Myth 3: Ice-covered tongue = heavy dampness
  • ​correct solution (a math. equation): water-smooth tongue + fat tongue → phlegm-dampness; dry tongue + cracks → yang-deficiency fire failure

2. Conditioning cycle planning

• ​Ice-breaking period (1-2 weeks): The method of less fire and anger (Cinnamon 3g+Bacopa monnieri 10g)
• ​Ice melt period (3-4 weeks): Warming Yang and Lifting Water Method (Poria 15g + Zedoaria 10g)
• ​Sterilization period (5-6 weeks): yin and yang double tonic method (turtle and deer erxian gum + eucommia 15g)