Pulse Diagnosis

Question 1

floating pulse (superficial)

Answer 1

exterior pattern OR
Yin Xu if floating & empty
(clear w/light pressure, weak w/heavy pressure)

Question 2

deep pulse (sinking)

Answer 2

Interior pattern;
Qi/Xue Stag if also full; Y
ang Xu if also weak
(clear w/heavy pressure, felt near bone)

Question 3

slow pulse

Answer 3

Cold (Xu if weak, Xs if full)

less than 4 beats per respiration cycle of practitioner

Question 4

rapid pulse

Answer 4

Heat (Xs if full, Xu if thin)

more than 5 beats per respiration cycle of practitioner

Question 5

empty pulse (vacuous)

Answer 5

Qi/Xue Xu,
Organ Xu
(feels big but soft and w/out strength)

Question 6

full pulse (forceful)

Answer 6

XS (Heat if rapid, Cold if slow)

feels forceful, pounds against fingers at all 3 depths

Question 7

surging pulse (flooding/overflowing)

Answer 7

XS Heat injured Fluid/Yin OR
Qi exhaustion (if also empty, after period of illness)
(arrives like waves with strength at all 3 depths but recedes with weakness)

Question 8

thin pulse (fine, thready)

Answer 8

Xue/Yin Xu OR
Damp w/Qi Xu
(fine like thread, in middle depth, thinner than normal but distinct, clear)

Question 9

slippery pulse (rolling)

Answer 9

Phlegm, 
Damp or Food accumulation, 
XS Heat OR 
normal Pregnant pulse
(very fluid, smooth, rounded, slides like ball bearing)

Question 10

choppy pulse (hesitant, rough)

Answer 10

Xue/Qi Stasis if full OR
Xue/Jing Xu if thin
(jagged edge, rough, knife scraping bamboo)

Question 11

wiry pulse (string-taut, string-like)

Answer 11

LV/GB disharmony (XS or XU),
Pain,
Phlegm or P-Fluid
(strong, taut, rebounds against pressure at all levels, hits fingers evenly like guitar string)

Question 12

tight pulse (tense)

Answer 12

Cold pattern (usually XS),
Pain,
Food retention
Ext Cold if floating, Int Cold if deep

Question 13

soggy pulse (soft, weak-floating)

Answer 13

Damp (XS or XU),
Jing Xu
(in superficial level only, disappears w/slightest pressure, empty, floating, extremely soft and thin)

Question 14

weak pulse (frail)

Answer 14

Qi/Yang Xu,
Xue Xu
(soft, fine, without force, felt only at deep level)

Question 15

hasty pulse (abrupt, hurried, skipping)

Answer 15

XS HT Yang, 
HT Fire, 
Congested Qi in UJ, 
Phlegm or Food accumulation, 
HT Qi Xu if weak
(rapid and skips beats irregularly)

Question 16

knotted pulse (bound)

Answer 16

Cold retention,
HT Xue Stasis, PC Phlegm
HT Qi/Yang Xu
(slow and skips beats irregularly)

Question 17

intermittent pulse (regularly intermittent)

Answer 17

serious debilitation of all internal organs
Wind pattern
Pain pattern
HT problem, palpitation
(regularly skips beats)

Question 18

long pulse

Answer 18

XS Heat
(perceptible beyond pulse points (hand/elbow))

Question 19

short pulse

Answer 19

Severe Qi Xu,
Qi stagnation if also forceful
(does not fill space under pulse points, usually only felt in one position)

Question 20

minute pulse (faint)

Answer 20

Extreme Qi/Xue Xu

extremely fine and soft, barely perceptible, seems about to disappear

Question 21

moderate pulse (slow-down)

Answer 21

healthy pulse OR
Damp w/SP Xu if also slippery
(normal depth, speed, strength, width, 4 beats/resp cycle)

Question 22

hollow pulse (scallion)

Answer 22

Great Xue loss,
Xue Xu
forthcoming hemorrhage if also rapid
(felt at superficial and deep level but empty at middle level)

Question 23

leather pulse (drumskin)

Answer 23

Severe Jing Xu,
Xue Xu
(feels large, hard and tight at superficial level like drum but completely empty at deep level)

Question 24

confined pulse (prison, firm)

Answer 24

Interior Cold accumulation if also slow,
Xue stasis,
Pain
(hard and wiry pulse at deep level only)

Question 25

scattered pulse

Answer 25

Severe KD Yuan Qi Xu,
Imminent expiry of Zang-fu Qi
(floating, bit, weak, without root, disappears w/pressing but felt primarily as it recedes; larger and less distinct than empty)

Question 26

hidden pulse

Answer 26

Cold obstructing meridian if also full,
Severe Yang Xu if also weak
(extreme deep pulse; very deep and difficult to feel, finally obtained when bone is found, clear only w/heavy press.)

Question 27

moving pulse (spinning bean), stirred

Answer 27

HT palpitation, Fright, Anxiety
Pain
(short and round shape like bean, felt only in one position, trembling or shaking and slippery)

Question 28

big pulse (large)

Answer 28

Heat in ST/Intestines,
Entrance of Dz (if w/force)
Outward floating of Yang Xu (if w/out force)
(full, broad in diameter and very distinct)

Question 29

rapid, thin pulse

Answer 29

XU Heat

Question 30

full, rapid pulse

Answer 30

XS Heat

Question 31

full, slow pulse

Answer 31

XS Cold

Question 32

surging, empty pulse

Answer 32

Qi exhaustion (after period of illness)

Question 33

thready pulse that’s floating is called ___?

Answer 33

soggy

Question 34

thready pulse that’s in middle depth is called ___?

Answer 34

thin

Question 35

thready pulse that’s in deep depth is called ___?

Answer 35

weak

Question 36

choppy and full pulse

Answer 36

Xue/Qi stasis

Question 37

choppy and thin

Answer 37

Xue/Jing Xu

Question 38

tight and floating pulse

Answer 38

Exterior Cold

Question 39

tight and deep pulse

Answer 39

Interior Cold

Question 40

hasty, weak pulse

Answer 40

HT Qi Xu

Question 41

short, forceful pulse

Answer 41

Qi stagnation

Question 42

moderate and slippery pulse

Answer 42

Damp w/SP Xu

Question 43

hollow and rapid pulse

Answer 43

forthcoming hemorrhage

Question 44

confined, slow pulse

Answer 44

Interior Cold accumulation

Question 45

hidden and full pulse

Answer 45

Cold obstructing meridian

Question 46

hidden and weak pulse

Answer 46

Severe Yang Xu