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
What is the image for a tight pulse?
“a tight pulse is an inflexible pulse like a tensely drawn rope.”
not a thin or weak force, but one with force that has a decreased amplitude
what are the general indications for a tight pulse?
Indicates cold, pain, or food stagnation
What are the associated patterns with a tight pulse?
Floating and tight = Exterior Cold
Deep and tight = Interior Cold
What is the image of a bowstring pulse?
Fine, long, and hard, “like a fully drawn bowstring and firm when pressure is applied.”
more narrow, harder, and more stringy than the tight pulse
What is is a Bowstring pulse also known as?
wiry or lutestring
What are the general indications of a bowstring pulse?
usually an excess type
generally associated with disharmony of the liver and gallbladder
it can also indicate phlegm retention (wiry and slippery)
What are some associated patterns with a bowstring pulse?
Liver constraint, Liver fire, damp heat in the LR/GB (rapid/bowstring), internal wind or wind strokes
What is the image of a drumskin pulse?
bowstring and large on the outside, empty underneath. “like touching the skin of a drum”
Drumskin pulse is also known as?
Tympanic or Leathery pulse
What are the general indications of a drumskin pulse?
Outward strength and inner vacuity
severely damaged yin, blood, structive potential can not retrain active energy
What are some associated patterns of a drumskin pulse?
chronic/Long term Blood vacuity or Yin Vacuity type conditions
What is the image for a scallion stalk pulse?
superficial, large, and lacking force. Hollow within like a scallion stalk. Wang Shu-he: “Empty in the middle, but solid at the sides.”
What are the general indications of a scallion stalk pulse?
sudden blood loss, severe deficiency of essence (Jing), severe damage to body fluids
What are some associated patterns of scallion stalk pulse?
internal or external bleeding, late stages of severe febrile disease
What is the image of the scattered pulse?
superficial, large, and without root.
has an incomplete rhythm or chaotic rhythm “like the scattering of a dandelion flower”
What is the general indication of a scattered pulse?
indicates severe damage to the “yuan qi” or exhaustion of body “right qi”
What are some associated patterns of a scattered pulse?
potentially indicates separation of yin and yang, expiration, or exhaustion
imminent death
What is the image of a thin or fine pulse?
“constantly present yet thin”
What are the qualities of a thin pulse?
feels thin and narrow under your finger like a thread, unscattered by pressure
should be clear and distinct
even strength
What are the other names for a thin pulse?
Fine or Thready
What is the general indication for a thin or fine pulse?
may indicate vacuity (deficiency)
-insufficient blood or yin to completely fill the vessel
may indicate damp retention
- dampness restricting/impeding the vessel, preventing it from filling completely
What are some associated patterns of a thin pulse?
especially seen in Yin deficiency when combined with an accelerated rate
often a feature of other pulses indicating vacuity conditions: spleen vacuity (soggy), blood vacuity, Kidney Vacuity (weak)
What is the image for a minute pulse?
“The faint pulse is very fine, forceless, pulse; possibly bordering on expiry; sometimes there, sometimes not”
similar to a thin pulse but forceless, and you keep catching it and losing it again
What is another name for a minute pulse?
faint pulse
What is a general indication of a minute pulse?
indicates extreme deficiency of body right qi
What are some associated patterns for the minute pulse?
usually qi or yang deficiency
could be seen after a long illness
caution if displayed with excess type signs
What is the image for a soggy pulse?
This is a superficial, thin, and forceless pulse
What is the general indication for a soggy or soft pulse?
vacuity conditions in particular effecting the middle jiao (st/sp) and leading to damp retention
What are some associated patterns for a soggy or soft pulse?
spleen qi vacuity, spleen/kidney yang vacuity, dual vacuity of qi + blood
What is the image for a weak pulse?
pulse is thin, forceless, and palpable only at the deep level
must satisfy all three criteria
What is the general indication for a weak pulse?
significant, interior, vacuity condition
What are some associated patterns for a weak pulse?
indicates qi and blood deficiency, Yin and Yang combined deficiency, often seen with qi and yang deficiency
What is the image of a moderate pulse?
slightly faster than a “slow” pulse
What are some qualities of a moderate pulse?
even and balanced with some sluggish quality (rate)
seems to “amble” under the finger
generally normal rate (four beats per breath) but comes and goes “languidly”
What are some other names for a moderate pulse?
leisurely or sluggish pulse
What are the general indications for a moderate pulse?
Can indicate good health when combined with a normal amount of force
can indicate damp retention (sticky obstruction damp) or St Qi Deficiency
What pattern is associated with a leisurely, forceful, and deep pulse?
Cold Damp
What pattern is associated with a leisurely and weak or forceless pulse?
Spleen qi deficiency
What is the image for a confined pulse?
a large, taut, forceful, and deep pulse that feels as if it sticks to the bone
What is another name for a confined pulse?
fixed pulse
What are some associated patterns for a confined/fixed pulse?
Internal cold which is congealing, obstructing, or stagnating. hard masses (tumor, hernia, etc), severe pain
What are the general indications for a Confined/fixed pulse?
indication of severe, pathological, internal, repletion conditions restricting yang qi
What is the image for a hidden pulse?
deeper than the deep level, can not be felt at all until nearly to the level of the bone
moving between bone and tendon
What is the general indication for a hidden pulse?
deep or longstanding internal condition
What are the general indications for a forceful and hidden pulse?
Excess -> evil influence hiding internally causing qi and blood stasis
could include cold, phlegm, food retention, heat, or severe pain. Active energy is completely “hemmed” by evil qi
What are the general indications of a forceless and hidden pulse?
yang collapse. total lack of active energy
What is the image for a moving pulse?
a short, slippery, rapid, and forceful pulse
Describe the quality of a moving pulse
slippery, rapid, and strong, feeling like a bean moving back and forth on its stalk
Wang Shu-He: “the stirring pulse is a pulse that appears merely in the Guan position, a pulse with no ends, as large as a bean, stirring in a small way”
What is the general indication for a moving pulse?
Indicating a clash between yin and yang energy
Indicates fright, fear, or intense emotional shock
What are some associated patterns of a moving pulse?
severe pain due to stagnation (counter flow of Qi). Phlegm retention.
Also can be the result of excessive or inappropriate medications such as tonics, antiphlogistic drugs, cortisone, or other meds
What is the image for a skipping pulse?
a rapid pulse that skips a beat at irregular/random intervals
What is the general indication for a skipping pulse?
vacuity or pathogenic factors disrupting or obstructing the Heart and impairing cohesion of rhythm
What pattern is associated with a forceful skipping pulse?
Heat. (excess heat, damp heat, phlegm turning into heat causing blockage of the mai qi and interrupting the smooth flow of the pulse)
What is the image for a knotted pulse?
a slow pulse that skips beats at irregular/random intervals
What is another name for a knotted pulse?
bound pulse
What is the general indication for a knotted pulse?
vacuity or pathogenic factors disrupting or obstructing the Heart and impairing cohesion of rhythm
What is the pattern associated with a forceful and knotted pulse?
Internal excess cold, cold phlegm, or blood/qi stasis, food retention, or masses (particularly in the abdomen)
What is the pattern associated with a forceless and knotted pulse?
Heart qi or Heart Yang deficiency, PC/Mingmen
What is the pattern associated with a forceless and skipping pulse?
Heart qi damage or Vacuity of Heart qi or Heart Yin
What is the image for an intermittent pulse?
a pulse that skips a beat at regular intervals
What is the general indication of an intermittent pulse?
generally indicates a more severe condition and damage to the Heart or Zang in general
Always indicates some organic heart condition
What are some associated patterns for an intermittent pulse?
failure of Zang/Fu qi; Failure of Yuan qi.
can be caused by intense fear, fright, or extreme pain
should be documented and patient should be referred to an M.D.
What is the image for a hasty/racing pulse?
very rapid, urgent, agitated. 7-8 beats per breath, 120-200+ bpm
What is the general indication for a hasty or racing pulse?
damage to or severe exuberance of yang qi
What pattern is associated with a forceful and hasty/racing pulse?
Excess Heat; Heat damage exhausting yin
What pattern is associated with a forceless and hasty/racing pulse?
Yang qi collapse, severe summer heat, heatstroke, other severe emergent condition
some medications can cause a rapid pulse
