The medical palmistry guide to good health.

Palmistry isn’t only about character analysis or fortune telling, it’s a powerful tool in preventing illness too. Lots of underlying health conditions show on the palm, months before they manifest as health problems. Always consult your physician and get a professional opinion about any suspected condition.

• The palm is a major area for scientific investigation – over 4,000 research papers have been published on aspects of the palm and health in the last 50 years.
• There is no relationship between the length of the lifeline and the length of your life – if yours is short, don’t worry!
• The palm lines aren’t fixed and will change as your health and your character changes.
• Some practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine use the palm to diagnose illness. There are many acupuncture points on the hands because many of the body’s energy meridians pass through them. Some reflexologists work on points on the palms as well as the feet.

Fingernail fitness
The nails are an excellent indicator of your general physical condition, so let’s begin with them. If you find something wrong with a single nail, ignore it – you may have just injured the nail bed. Only if there’s a matching sign on three or more nails should you take action.

If you’re in optimum health, your nails will be pale rose–pink in colour, unmarked by ridges, white spots or grooves with a natural sheen.

Spotty nails
One of the most obvious signs to look for is white flecks on the nails (their scientific name is leukonychia punctata). They signal mineral depletion (particularly iron, zinc and copper) sleeplessness and a run–down condition. They’re often seen on nursing mothers, junior doctors, shift workers, teenagers living on junk food and late nights, and on those recovering from illness. If your nails are marked like this, consider taking a good mineral supplement as well as sufficient sleep and exercise.

Ridged nails
One or more ridges (called Beau’s lines) running horizontally across the nails, like wrinkles in the surface, mark a period where nail growth was interrupted. It takes around ten weeks for the nail to grow, so this means some time back you had a temporary illness or some other shock to the system, an accident for instance, or a surgical operation, even an emotional trauma.

A series of fine, longitudinal lines show over–activity of the nervous system, anxiety, adrenal stress and it’s an early warning of rheumatic and arthritic disorders. Try to relax, perhaps with an activity like yoga or meditation and take glucosamine sulphate and omega fatty acids – good for the prevention of joint and mobility problems.

Other signs on the nails
Tiny, pin–prick like indentations on the nails are symptomatic of underlying skin diseases, like dermatitis or psoriasis.

Streaks of brown discolouration in the nail near the top edge, point to uric acid build–up and some sort of renal (kidney) problem.

Deep red nails indicate the possibility of high blood pressure, where very pale, bluish or purple coloured nails indicate the possibility of low blood pressure, circulatory or cardiac problems.

Sometimes the nails droop at the ends, rather like the leaves of a failing plant. If the nails are flat in profile and particularly, if the nails edges droop, there is general long–term fatigue and lack of vitality, not serious or necessarily illness–related, but you need rest and rejuvenation.

No moons on your nails? This very common (they’re always present on the thumbnails). It’s nothing to be concerned about but shows that aerobic capacity and circulation aren’t optimal.