Pulse indication and feel Flashcards
What are the floating pulses
What indications does a deficient (empty) pulse have?
Zheng qi is damaged causing qi or blood deficiency
What does a Deficient pulse feel like
feels big but lacks strength (slow beats, soft and deficient when more pressure is applied)
What is a drumskin pulse indication?
internal blood and Jing deficiency
What does a drumskin pulse feel like?
feels large, hard and tight in the superficial level and empty at the deeper levels (floating, wiry and hallow)
What is a feeble pulse indication?
yang qi xu, severe blood and qi deficiency,
What does a feeble pulse feel like?
Extremely fine and soft
(like a piece of hair about to snap)
What is a forceful (flooding) pulse indication?
Excess heat, empty heat, (exhaust qi)
What does a forceful (flooding) pulse feel like?
Floating, rough and big beats that rise strong and leave with little strength
(a chiming bell that chimes and then fades)
What does a hallow pulse feel like?
superficial, soft and disappears under pressure with an empty centre
(green onion stem)
What is a hallow pulse indication?
Severe blood loss, blood deficiency
What is a scattered pulse indication?
severe deficiency of qi, blood, and yuan qi
What does a scattered pulse feel like?
superficial, large, with irregular beats, (chaotic) This pulse is indistinct without root
What does a Soggy pulse feel like?
soft, superficial, forceless and thin (only felt in the superficial levels)
What is a Soggy pulse indication? (same as soft)
Dampness from spleen qi deficiency
Deep pulse indication
Interior syndrome
Deep pulse feel
only felt with heavy pressure near the bone
Forceful pulse indication
(full, excess)
Excess conditions (heat, yang qi)
Forceful pulse feel
forceful and hard at all 3 levels
(powerful wave crashing into the shore)
Firm pulse indication
Interior cold, pain or stagnation (extreme excess)
Firm pulse feel
Deep, taut and forceful
(bowstring under tension or a snake under a mattress)
Hidden pulse indication
Severe yang deficiency , internal accumulation of cold
Hidden pulse feel
Very deep, difficult to feel, bone level
Thready pulse feel
Fine, thin soft and deep
(silk thread)
Thready pulse indication
Blood, qi, and yin deficiency,
Weak pulse indication
Qi, yang, blood, Jing deficiency
Weak pulse feel
deep, thin, forceless, soft. not felt in the superficial level
Rapid pulse indication
Heat or fire , empty heat
Rapid pulse feel
more than 5 beats per breath
(hooves of a racing horse)
Moving pulse indication
Ht palpitation, frights, shock, pain
Moving pulse feel
like a bean, short round and slippery (throbs abruptly)
Racing (skipping) pulse indication
Excess heat, heart fire (Excess yang exhausting yin)
Racing (skipping) pulse feel
Rapid, skips beats irregularly
(Fleeing rabbit)
Slippery pulse feel
Round and smooth and flows evenly (almost oily feeling)
Slippery pulse indication
Phlegm, damp, food retention, pregnancy, excess heat
Tight pulse feel
Taut, forcefully,
rises and falls without strength and vibrates left and right
(feels like a twisted rope) This pulse is wider than wiry
Tight pulse indication
excess cold causing cold or blocking yang qi
Choppy pulse indication
Blood stasis, qi stagnation, blood deficiency
Choppy pulse feel
Uneven, irregular, rough, on the slower side
(knife scrapping bamboo)
Intermittent pulse feel
Regularly skips beats )pause between beats can be concerningly long)
(Skipping rope)
Intermittent Pulse indications
damaged qi and blood or deficiency of yang, Heart disease
Knotted pulse feel
Slow, skips beats at irregular intervals
(a broken clock ticking)
Knotted pulse indication
Obstruction of qi, blood, phlegm, cold or deficiency of qi and blood
Moderate pulse feel
balanced, even, steady
(gentle waves on a calm sea)
Moderate pulse indication
Healthy or some mild dampness
Slow pulse feel
fewer than 4 beats per breath
(slow drip from a tap)
Slow pulse indications
Cold patter, yang xu
Long pulse indication
Excess heat
Long pulse feel
Felt beyond the 3 positions
Short pulse feel
does not extend the normal range
(half finished sentence)
Short pulse indication
Qi deficiency or stagnation
Wiry pulse indication
LV/GB disharmony, pain, phlegm, stagnation
Wiry pulse feel
Taut, long and strong, no fluidity in the movement, hits fingers evenly
(guitar string)
Large pulse feel
Full, broad, distinct
(swollen river after heavy rain)
Large pulse indication
Excess heat
