Pulse Indications

Question 1

Floating (4)

Answer 1

• Exterior Pattern
• Yin Def if floating and Empty
• Interior Wind (if no exterior symptoms)
• Exterior Def or general weakness from prolonged Illness

Floating is clearly felt with light pressure, somewhat weak with heavy pressure

Question 2

Deep (3)

Answer 2

• Interior Pattern
• Qi/Blood Stasis (if Full)
• And Yang Def (if weak)

Deep is not clear with light pressure, but clear with heavy pressure felt near the bone

Question 3

Slow(4)

Answer 3

• Cold Pattern
• Def/Cold, if weak
• Excess-Cold, if full
• Cold retarding movement, Qi insufficiency

Slow is less than 4 beats per respiration cycle of the practitioner

Question 4

Rapid (3)

Answer 4

• Heat Pattern
• Full Heat (if strong), Def Heat (if weak)
• Heat is accelerating the movement of blood

Rapid is more than 5 beats per respiration cycle of the practitioner

Question 5

Empty

Answer 5

• Qi/Blood Def
• Organ Def

Empty is Big, but without strength

Question 6

Full (2)

Answer 6

• Full Pattern
• Excess Heat if Rapid/Excess Cold if Slow

Fulls is Big and Strong and Pounding against the fingers at all three depths

Question 7

Surging (2)

Answer 7

• Excess Heat has injured the Fluid/Yin
• Qi exhaustion following a long period of illness (if Empty)

Surging arrives like waves, hitting the fingers with strength at all three depths and overflowing, but it leaves the fingers with less strength, like a receding wave

Question 8

Thin (3)

Answer 8

Blood/Yin Def
Dampness with Qi def
Blood Def unable to fill the pulse properly, Qi Def

Thin is a fine thread but is very distinct and clear

Question 9

Slippery (3)

Answer 9

• Accumulation of Phlegm, Damp or Food
• Excess Heat
• Normal during pregnancy

Slippery is Extremely fluid, feels like a ball bearing covered with viscous fluid.

Question 10

Choppy (3)

Answer 10

• Blood/Qi Stasis if full
• Blood/Essence def if Thin
• Congealed Blood

Choppy is the opposite of slippery, uneven and rough and sometimes irregular in rhythm.

Question 11

Wiry (3)

Answer 11

• LB/GB disharmony (Excess or Def)
• Pain (stagnation in the body)
• Phlegm or Phlegm-Fluid

Wiry is taut feeling like a guitar or violin string

Question 12

Tight (4)

Answer 12

• Cold Pattern (usually excess)
• Exterior Cold if Floating, Interior Full Cold if Deep, Interior Empty Cold (if weak-deep)
• Pain
• Food Retention

Tight is strong and seems to bounce from side to side like a taut rope. It is fuller and more elastic than wiry pulse.

Question 13

Soggy (2)

Answer 13

• Damp from excess or def
• Blood or Jing deficiency

Soggy =Thin, Empty and Floating. Less clear than Thin Pulse. Pressure makes it disappear

Question 14

Weak (2)

Answer 14

Qi/Yang Def (because of its low amplitude) 
Blood Def (because its thin)

Felt at the deep level only. No force.

Question 15

Hasty (5)

Answer 15

Excessive HT Yang, HT Fire (Severe Heat)
Congested Qi in the UJ
Accumulation of Phlegm or Food
Ht Qi Def, if Weak 
Qi/Blood Stagnation 

Rapid Pulse that skips beats irregularly

Question 16

Knotted (6)

Answer 16

-Cold Obstructing Qi/Blood
-Qi/Blood/Jing Def
-HT not ruling the blood properly
(more interruptions more severe)
-Blood Stasis
-Excess of Yin
-Accumulation of Qi

Knotted is slow, irregular pulse that skips beats irregularly

Question 17

Intermittent (5)

Answer 17

• Serious debilitation of all internal organs
• Wind pattern, pain pattern
• HT problem, palpitation
• Declining Zang Qi or Yang Qi
• Extreme Fear or Fright

Intermittent usually skips more beats than Hasty and knotted, but does so in a regular pattern.

Question 18

Long (1)

Answer 18

Excess Heat pattern (surplus of Yang Qi)

Long is the pulse is perceptible beyond the first and third pulse positions

Question 19

Short (3)

Answer 19

Severe Qi Def
Qi Stagnation if forceful
ST Qi Def

Short does not fill the spaces under the three fingers and is usually felt in only one position

Question 20

Minute (1)

Answer 20

Extreme Def of Qi/Blood

Minute is extremely fine and soft, lacks clarity of thin pulse. Barely perceptible and seem about to disappear

Question 21

Moderate (2)

Answer 21

Generally a healthy pulse
Damp with SP Def, if Slippery

Normal in Depth, 4 beats per respiratory cycle

Question 22

Hollow (2)

Answer 22

Great Blood loss, blood def
Forthcoming hemmorage, if Rapid

Hollow feels like the stem of a green onion.

Question 23

Leather (2)

Answer 23

Severe Def of KD Essence of KD Yin
Blood Def

Leather feels hard and tight at the superficial level and stretched like a drum, but it feels empty at the deep level.

Also Wiry, Floating and Empty. Like the tight skin of a drum

Question 24

Confined (2)

Answer 24

Interior Cold accumulation, if slow
Blood stasis, pain

Felt only a the deep level and it feels hard and rather wiry.

Question 25

Scattered (3)

Answer 25

Serious Disharmony, KD Yang exhausted and floating away
Severe Def of Wi/Blood or KD Qi
Imminent expiry of Zang-Fu Qi

Small and superficial. Pulse feels like it is broken into small dots.

Question 26

Hidden (3)

Answer 26

Cold obstructing the meridian, if Full
Severe Yang def, if weak
Severe Yang Def

Hidden is and extreme form of sinking pulse, intense pressure must be applied to feel it.

Question 27

Moving (2)

Answer 27

Ht Palpitation, fright, anxiety
Pain

Moving like a round shape of a bean, it trembles under finger. Can also feel somewhat slippery

Question 28

Big (2)

Answer 28

Heat in the ST/Intestines
Entrance of disease (with force)
Outward floating of Yang (without force)

Big is Broad in diameter and very distinct, suggests Excess

Question 29

Hurried

Answer 29

Fire exhausting Yin

Hurried feels very rapid but it also feels very agitated and upset.