Pulse Synergy Book Flashcards
What are the characteristics of a Pure Yang Pulse?
The jump is strong and fast through Chi, Guan and Chi levels.
It’s shape is thick and convex, floating and firm.
A feeling of pressured resistance combined with a sense of vigorous activity encased within the vessel meets the fingers.
Excess heat.
What are the characterisits of a Pure Yin Pulse?
Seems to evade tactile perception, to the extent that it may disappear even as contact is being maintained.
It’s shape is thin and deep
its jump is often weak, slow and stagnating
It may only reveal itself after repeated attempts palpation at various levels of the radial vessel.
Associated with deficiency cold.
what are the characteristics of a pulse in a person with Heat and Deficiency?
The pulse is thick but also soft, weak and slow.
It may appear in either deep or floating positions and its contours can be either concave or convex.
Its perimeters are often not well defined
What is a Jue Yin Pulse?
Wind
Qi
Heaven
What is a Shao Yin Pulse?
Summer Heat
Qi
Heaven
What is a Yang Ming pulse?
Dry
Qi
Heaven
What is a Tai YangPulse?
Dry
Qi
Heaven
What is a Tai Yang Pulse?
Cold
Qi
Heaven
What is a Tai Yin Pulse?
Damp
Qi
Heaven
What is a Shao Yang Pulse?
Fire
Qi
Heaven
What is an Expanding Pulse?
Excess Heat
human
Yin/Yang
What is a Shrinking Pulse?
Deficient Cold
Human
Yin/Yang
What is a Dispersing Pulse?
Deficient Heat
Human
Ying/Yang
What is a Constricting Pulse?
Excess cold
Human
Yin/Yang
What is a Flowing Pulse?
Excess Heat/Phelgm
Human
yin/Yang
What is a Stagnating Pulse?
Deficient Cold Stagnation
Human
Yin/Yang
What is a Hooked Pulse?
Heart/Fire
Earth
Five Phases
What is an Even Pulse?
Spleen/Earth
Earth
Five Phases
What is a Buoyant Pulse?
Lung/Metal
Earth
Five Phases
What is a Sunken Pulse?
Kidney/Water
Earth
Five Phases
What is a Wiry Pulse?
Liver/Wood
Earth
Five Phases
Hook Pulse
Left Cun
Fire/Heart Fire Qi
Hence shape should rise slightly upward
Even Pulse
Right Guan
Moderately balance shape b/c of it’s center equilibrium
Bouyant
Right Cun
Floating
Metal’s dryness lacking Yin substrate transmits its floating quality to the vessel
Sunken
Right Chi
Water seeks the lower levels
Wiry
Wood
Extended straightness due to its extended growth and development
The Wood Pulse
Five Phases
Left Guan, wiry
Often appears in young people during growth periods and in people with constitutionally thin body types.
Like touching a guitar string
Wiry refers to the length and straightness
Should be moderately pliable and moderately thick.
The Fire Pulse
Five Phases
Hooked indicates the Qi of the Heart is strong and prosperous.
As the vessel proceeds from Chi to Cun positions the shape of the Cun position is relatively surfaced and floating compared to that of the Chi position (hence the vessel appears to rise slightly as one finger’s follow its contours from Cun to Chi.
Appears most noticeably in people with short strong bodies
Because of its relation to the lungs, both the left sided vessels should display the Hooked Characteristic.
The hooked pulse should be inspected with regard to the relative elevation that occurs between the high and low points. Highest point should be in Cun position.
If highest point occurs in Chi positiont = Reverse Fire Pulse or Reverse Hook Pulse
The Earth Pulse
Five Phases
Even Pulse = spleen,
Right Guan
Earth = center so should be even and regular
Smoothness - as if its jump is moving forward, slightly rolling, soft, gentle, even and steady, not excessive and not lacking
The Metal Pulse
Five Phases
Metal pulse = lungs
Right cun, BUOYANT
- jump is discernable upon light pressure, however softer than fire pulse. Does not disperse upon light pressure.
- presses up against the fingers through floating, mid and deep levels of the vessel. If Metal suffers with dryness then only the floating level is discerned
The Water Pulse
Five Phases
Kidney, Sunken pulse
- deeper than Cun and Guan positions
- should have a strong jump in the Deep position
- should have strength but not be too thin, too hard or too soft
Jue Yin Pulse - Six Qi Pulses
Yin Deficiency Wind
- left guan position appears wiry, fast and floating
- pulse disappears under pressure
Jue Yin Pulse - Six Qi Pulses
Wind Excess
- left guan position appears wiry, thick, floating and fast
- upon deeper pressure its strength is maintained
Jue Yin Pulse - Six Qi Pulses
Wind Stroke
- left guan position appears wiry, big and hard
- hard and strong
- degree of hardness is important = high blood pressure
- use Di Tan Tang (Formulas that Clear Heat and Open the Orifices)
Shao Yin Pulse - hooked (Six Qi Pulses)
Hot Ulcers with swelling and pain
rapid and hooked, left cun
- strong at both superficial and deep levels
- blood should be treated: clear heat, resolve toxins and cool the blood
Shao Yin Pulse - hooked (Six Qi Pulses)
Heart and Kidney
- left cun
- excessive perspiration of hands and feet = kidney and heart fire
- clear kidney and heart fire with Liu Wei di Huang Wan and Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan
Shao Yin Pulse - hooked (Six Qi Pulses)
Purulent Pus
- left cun
- Pulse is hooked and rapid
- inflammation and the formation of purulent pus in the body
- check for hyperthyroidism first before beginning treatment - use Xian Fang Huo Ming Shi (Formulas that treat abcesses and sores)
Shao Yin Pulse - hooked (Six Qi Pulses)
Insufficient Heart Blood
- left cun
- hooked, floating and thin
- upon deeper pressure the middle is strengthless
- caused by excessive use of intellect
- use Yang Xin Tang or Tian Wan Bu Xin Tang
Shao Yin Pulse - hooked (Six Qi Pulses)
Over Consumption of yin Essence
- left cun
- may be indicative of heart blood insufficiency d/t insufficient yin with a yang excess leading to fire
Shao Yin Pulse - hooked (Six Qi Pulses)
Heart Yang Vacuity
- the hook pulse will change to a shrinking and a reverse hook pulse may appear
- decrease in intellectual functions such as loss of concentration, inability to make decisions
- tonify Heart and Kidney yang
- Shi Quan Da Bu Wan (ten Perfect big tonify formula)
Formulas that tonify Qi and blood deficiency with cold - tonify qi and blood; warm yang and dispel cold
Shao Yin Pulse - hooked (Six Qi Pulses)
Fire restrains Metal
- if an exceedingly hooked pulse occurs at the right cun then it indicates restraint of metal by fire
Tai Yin Pulse - deep (Six Qi Pulses)
- tai yin = dampness (deep)
- it’s nature is heavy, turbid and sluggish
- hard to cure
- assaults Yang Qi and causes stagnation
Tai Yin Pulse - deep (Six Qi Pulses)
Exterior Dampness
- exterior dampness occurs d/t exposure to damp conditions over extended periods of time
- both left and right cun, guan and chi positions may be deep when there is atmospheric dampness
Tai Yin Pulse - deep (Six Qi Pulses)
Interior Dampness
- right guan pulse will appear deep when damp assaults the stomach or large intestines- over consumption of cold or damp food such as alcohol or a rich greasy diet inhibits the middle warmer’s transporting function
- causes the inhibition of yang yi leading to interior dampness
Tai Yin Pulse - deep (Six Qi Pulses)
Interior Dampness
intestines
right guan deep
deep short pulse in right cun while righ guan remains deep
Tai Yin Pulse - deep (Six Qi Pulses)
interior dampness d/t eating rancid food
- right guan
- deep wiry strong pulse
Tai Yin Pulse - deep (Six Qi Pulses)
Interior Dampness with Gout
Right Chi wiry, deep and long
Use Huang Qi Tang
Tai Yin Pulse - deep (Six Qi Pulses)
Interior Dampness with dampness in the meridians
Right Guan deep and soft
Joint pain with dampness
Expel dampness
Tai Yin Pulse - deep (Six Qi Pulses)
Constitutional Dampness d/t extended dampness
Strong and flowing pulse
Dampness for a long period of time + heat - changes the constitution and leads to phlegm in middle burner
Tai Yin Pulse - deep (Six Qi Pulses)
Spleen qi xu
Right guan deep and strengthless
Spleen qi xu d/t middle burner being unable to transport the fluids of the stomach leading to dampness obstructing the middle burner
Sx: diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and a pale complexion.
Tai Yin Pulse - deep (Six Qi Pulses)
Cold and damp
Right Deep, thin and weak pulse
Tai Yin Pulse - deep (Six Qi Pulses)
Dampness and deficiency heat
Deep and dispersing pulse shows dampness and deficiency heat d/t stagnation
Tx: Circulate blood and expel dampness
Er Zhu Tang:
Tai Yin Pulse - deep (Six Qi Pulses)
Excess heat and dampness
Right guan - Deep wiry strong pulse
Tai Yin Pulse - deep (Six Qi Pulses)
Dampness and wind combined
Right guan: pulse is deep however at mid level a strengthless wiry pulse appears
Tai Yang Pulse - big and long (Six Qi Pulses)
Cold
Appears only in right chi and left cun positions.
Big, long, hard and forceful. Long exceeds the chi position by several inches.
Left Cun: Length is long and continues to the wrist crease
Right chi: Length is long and continues up to the elbow
Tai Yang Pulse - big and long (Six Qi Pulses)
Cold in the bladder
Right chi: Big, long, hard and forceful. Length continues up to the elbow
Tai Yang Pulse - big and long (Six Qi Pulses)
Cold in the small intestine
Left cun: Big, long, hard and forceful. Length continues to the wrist crease
Cold and weakness of the Small intestine
SX: gas, indigestion, enteritis, diarrhea, blood in the stool
Yang Ming Pulse - short (Six Qi Pulses)
Obstruction (Dryness)
Pulses feels like a camel’s hump
Indicates that the function of the body’s vita;energy is not smooth and cannot penetrate the upper and lower regions
Yang is metal and corresponds to contraction
If digestion promoting herbs don’t make any difference in the pulse, then may be a spasm, obstruction in the lower intestine or cancer of the stomach.
Yang Ming Pulse - short (Six Qi Pulses)
Dryness
Right guan: short and floating
Yang Ming Pulse - short (Six Qi Pulses)
Stagnation
Right guan: short and hard
Yang Ming Pulse - short (Six Qi Pulses)
Fire
Right guan: short and jumping with strength = interior fire
Shao Yang Pulse - big, strong and long (Six Qi Pulses)
Pulse is big and floating Big = thickness and strength Floating = Qi in upper and exterior regions - often wiry d/t liver and GB fire - may appear in any position - corrupt and pernicious fire
Expanding pulse - Six Pathological Pulses
Jump and shape: thick, floating, deep, hard , strong and fast
Floating: forceful
Middle: firm
Deep: struggling to emerge
Nature: Expansion
Image: raging fire
- apparent upon very light touch. Upon heavier presssure its jump increases in strength. Strength is apparent at both surface and deep levels.
What does the Expanding pulse - Six Pathological Pulses mean?
- excess heat of both ext and int
- excitation of Blood and Qi
- qi in a state of expansion.
- Fire Qi is abundant
- appears in patients with hypertension before the onset of a stroke, before the blood vessels of the brain burst
TX: Let blood at appropriate acupuncture loci in order to temporarily relieve the acute repletion
Dispersing pulse - Six Pathological Pulses
Jump and shape = thick, soft, slow, weak, could be deep or floating, stagnating
Floating: vacuous (or perhaps slightly floating)
Middle: vacuous
Deep: vacuous
Nature: Disseminating
Image: smouldering fire
- soft and disperse upon the slightest amount of pressure. Wide and vacuous. Circumference not clear. Often palpable only upon deep pressure
- may appear on the right and left radian vessels, usually only in one position
What does the Dispersing pulse - Six Pathological Pulses mean?
Vacuity heat pattern brought on by lingering blood stasis or deep damp stasis, which may over time give rise to vacuity heat
- indicates chronic inflammation at the position it appears eg right cun, deep and dispersed = chronic bronchitis or genital and urinary infection, dispersing at left chi
- also appears with bone fractures
- also blood circulation system that is slow, obstructed and weak
- also slow metabolism
TX: Clear heat, move blood & break blood stasis
Free the flow of the meridians
The constricting pulse - Six Pathological Pulses
Often left cun = constricted state of Heart’s blood vessels
Jump and shape = thin, floating or deep, hard or soft, strong or weak
Floating = can be any shape
Middle = fine and tight
Deep: vacuous
Nature: Contracting
Image: Frozen stream
- felt as a fine firm string of smaller diameter than the vessel itself, like a pulse within a pulse
- may occur in one individual position on either left or right sides
- place one’s fingers upon the vessel and lightly apply pressure, then roll the fingers to and fro across it’s width, searching with the finger tips, alternating between light and heavy pressure through the three levels of the vessel
- may also give the impression of two vessels existing side by side, one being fine and contracted in contrast to the large one
What does the Constricting pulse - Six Pathological Pulses mean?
Cold excess pattern
- signifies the decline of an organs function
- nervous and internal secretion functions are suppressed. Decline of life as winter approaches
- cold has entered the entire body deeply or a particular region is extremely contracted
TX: warm and dissipate cold using pungent herbs to open the exterior and release the pathogen
- if on LEFT CUN = cold pathogen assaulting the Heart
- if long standing = pain in the chest, stabbing heart pain
The Shrinking pulse - Six Pathological Pulses
Jump and shape = thin, more often deep, soft, weak, slow, stagnating
Floating = unnoticeable
Middle = fine and frail, faint pulsing
Deep: cessation of pulsing
Nature: gentle decline
Image: a dying stream
- fine, like a silk thread under the finger. It’s jump is without strength and upon increased pressure it ceases. It’s jump is imperceivable upon light palpation. Both wrists at any position
What does the Shrinking pulse - Six Pathological Pulses mean?
Cold deficiency condition. If on right could be Lung or Spleen Qi deficiency.
