Pulse Images Flashcards
Image of a floating pulse?
potent when felt without pressure, impotent when pressure is applied
What does a floating pulse refer to?
ONLY the depth/level
What is the general indication of a floating pulse?
yang qi is relatively at the surface
What is the general indication of a forceful and floating pulse?
indicates excess or external (“wind”) invasion
What is the general indication of a weak and floating pulse?
sign of deficiency (yin fails to restrain yang but it is a “false” excess)
What are some examples of associated patterns?
Wind Heat, Wind Cold, Yin Vacuity, Blood Vacuity
What is the image of a deep or sinking pulse?
located near the bone, impotent when felt with light pressure, only potent when heavy pressure is applied
What is the general indication of a deep/sinking pulse?
indicates an “internal” syndrome or pathogen moving into the interior
What are some examples of associated patterns of a deep/sinking pulse?
Internal Repletion Cold, Internal Repletion Heat (generally if it has force), Internal Vacuity Cold (aka Yang Vacuity), Internal Vacuity Heat (aka Yin Vacuity)
What is the image of a Slow pulse?
reduced rate: less than 65-60 beats per minute (“less than four beats per breath cycle”)
What is the general indication of of a slow pulse?
Cold
-This could refer to Yang deficiency cold or cold pathogen
What are some associated patterns for a slow pulse?
Internal repletion Cold, Internal Vacuity Cold (aka Yang vacuity)
What is the image for a rapid pulse?
Increased rate: More than 85-90 beats per minute (“more than five beats per breath cycle”)
What is the general indication for a rapid pulse?
heat
-Li Shi Zhen: “resulting from an excess of Yang or a deficiency of Yin”
What does a forceless or ‘thin” rapid pulse generally indicate?
deficiency of yin
What does a forceful and rapid pulse general indicate?
excess heat/febrile disease
What are some associated patterns of a rapid pulse?
Internal repletion Heat, Internal vacuity heat (aka yin vacuity)
What is the image for a vacuous pulse?
Forceless, floating, large (not thin), and slow. Possibly without root.
What is the general indication of a vacuous pulse?
vacuity
Zheng qi is insufficent
What are some associated patterns with a vacuous pulse?
Vacuity of qi, Vacuity of Blood, Dual Qi + Blood Vacuity, Vacuity of Yang
What is the image of a replete pulse?
forceful, long, large, and hard
can be felt with light pressure, remaining full even with heavy pressure
What is the general indication of a replete or full pulse?
repletion
Indicates that the pathogen is strong but the bodies’ Right Qi is also strong
What is the image of a rolling pulse?
comes smoothly flowing and uninhibited, “like a pearl rolling inside a smooth bowl”
A rolling pulse is also known as….
“slippery” pulse
What is the general indication of of a rolling or slippery pulse?
redundancy
sufficient qi and blood being excited by a blockage of phlegm/damp or heat
healthy pulse may be slightly slippery
also an indication of pregnancy
What are some associated patterns of a rolling pulse?
Repletion heat, damp heat, damp accumulation, phlegm retention, food stagnation
What is the image of a grating pulse?
a thin pulse that comes and goes gratingly, as if there were friction, sometimes skips a beat
A grating pulse is also known as….
choppy pulse
What is the general indication of a grating pulse?
a stagnation or insufficiency of qi and blood
What is the indication of a forceful and grating pulse?
stagnation
what is the indication of a weak and grating pulse?
insufficiency of fluid
What are some associated patterns with a grating pulse?
blood stasis, Blood vacuity
What is the image of a long or large pulse?
has a “straight head and tail”, extends beyond its normal cun and chi positions
What is the general indication of a long or large pulse?
indicates upright qi is abundant
What is a long/large pulse associated with?
typically associated with repletion conditions
What is the image of a short pulse?
has a “short head and tail”, meaning that the pulse does not fill out its site and does not extend fully to the cun and chi positions
What is the general indication of a short/brief pulse?
pathology of qi
If the pulse is soft or weak and short, it indicates a ______ of qi.
deficiency
If the pulse is full, grating, excess and short, it indicates that there is a _______ of qi
stagnation
What are the associated patterns with a short or brief pulse?
qi stagnation, qi vacuity
What is the image of a surging or full pulse?
Floating and large. Like a wave, arrives strongly and departs weakly.
What is the general indication of a surging or full pulse?
indicates strong repletion of heat syndromes such as febrile disease, etc.
what are some associated patterns with a surging/full pulse?
One of the “four big” of the yangming syndrome (more qi and blood excited by heat), internal repletion of heat