Pulses

Question 1

Which side when taking the pulse, should be stronger in men? Which side should be stronger in women?

Answer 1

Left side, stronger on men (yang)
Right side stronger on women (yin)

Question 2

What are the normal pulses per season?

Answer 2

Spring – wiry
Summer – full / overflowing
Fall – deficient, floating, soggy, thready
Winter – deep, strong

Question 3

What is the clinical significance of floating pulse?

Answer 3

Exterior syndrome
Deficiency

Question 4

Qi deficiency

Answer 4

Weak
Thready

Question 5

Qi stagnation

Answer 5

Wiry

Question 6

Blood Deficiency

Answer 6

Weak
Slow
Thready

Question 7

Blood loss Pulse

Answer 7

Hollow
Leathery

Question 8

Blood Stagnation

Answer 8

Choppy
Knotted

Question 9

Cold Pulse

Answer 9

• Weak (yang xu)
• Knotted
• Slow
• Tight (excessive cold)

Question 10

Heat with Excess Yang Pulse

Answer 10

Floating
Overflowing
Rapid
Full
Slippery

Question 11

Damp/phlegm Pulse

Answer 11

Soggy
Slippery
Knotted (stagnation)

Question 12

Food stagnation Pulse

Answer 12

Wiry
Slippery

Question 13

Pain/Terror Pulse

Answer 13

Deep
Rapid
Intermittent
Tight
Wiry

Question 14

Describe a floating pulse?

Answer 14

Floating pulse, feels strong under slight pressure, loses strength with more pressure. Most often felt on the superficial level.

Question 15

Describe what a deep pulse feels like?

Answer 15

A deep pulse can only be felt under strong pressure at the level of tendons and bones

Question 16

Describe what a rapid pulse feels like?

Answer 16

A rapid pulse is 90 bpm or 5 to 6 beats per practitioner breath

Question 17

Describe what a slow pulse feels like?

Answer 17

A slow pulse is less than four beats per practitioner broth or 60 bpm

Question 18

What does an empty pulse feel like?

Answer 18

An empty pulse feels big and soft, weak, when lifting and pressing

Question 19

What does a full Pulse feel like?

Answer 19

I thought pulse feels hard fall long, and felt in all positions on all levels

Question 20

Describe the pulse Speeds ?
From Slow —-> Racing

Answer 20

Slow - < 4 breaths, < 60 bpm
Moderate - 4 breaths, 60-70 bpm
Normal - 4-5 breaths, 72 bpm
Rapid - 5-6 breaths, 90 - 120 bpm
Racing - 7-8 breaths, > 140 bmp

Question 21

Why can we take the pulse @ the LU 9 position?

Answer 21

Because lung is meeting place of the hundred vessels. Therefore, you on source point, lung nine is the meeting point of all blood vessels.

Question 22

Clinical Indications - FLOATING ?

Answer 22

Exterior syndrome
General Qi and Blood xu
Seen in slim people

Question 23

Clinical Indications - OVERFLOWING?

Answer 23

Hyperactive Heat
Empty heat (false yang)
Normal in summer

Question 24

Clinical Indications - SOGGY ?

Answer 24

Deficiency
Dampness
Can be normal in Fall
SP qi xu causing damp

Question 25

Clinical Indications - DEEP

Answer 25

Interior syndrome Normal in winter Normal in muscular people

Question 26

Clinical Indications - WEAK ?

Answer 26

Deficiency: Qi Blood Jing and Blood XU lead to Yang XU

Question 27

Clinical Indications - SLOW PULSE?

Answer 27

Cold Extreme Heat (yang Ming ST) **think of blood congealing, moving slower Normal in sleeping or athletic people

Question 28

Clinical Indications - SLIPPERY PULSE?

Answer 28

Qi and Blood Stag Food retention Pregnant Blood heat Phlegm

Question 29

Clinical Indications - KNOTTED PULSE?

Answer 29

* Interior cold (blood congeals) * Qi, Blood or Phlegm stagnation *Knotted indicates stagnation*

Question 30

Clinical Indications - RAPID PULSE?

Answer 30

Heat syndrome Normal in athletic people and children

Question 31

Clinical Indications - FEEBLE PULSE?

Answer 31

Yin / Yang XU Qi / Blood XU

Question 32

Clinical Indications - THREADY PULSE?

Answer 32

Qi and Blood XU

Question 33

Clinical Indications - INTERMITTENT ?

Answer 33

**Deficiency** - regular intermittent **Stasis**- irregular intermittent **Blood Heat** - irregular intermittent

Question 34

Clinical Indications - FULL ?

Answer 34

Excess syndrome (heat or fire) Normal in Healthy people Normal summer pulse

Question 35

Clinical Indications - SLIPPERY PULSE?

Answer 35

Pregnant women Normal in healthy teenagers Food / Phlegm retention Blood Heat Dampness

Question 36

Clinical Indications - TIGHT PULSE?

Answer 36

Excess Cold Pain Food Retention

Question 37

Clinical Indications - WIRY ?

Answer 37

Excess Pain LIV / GB syndrome Normal in healthy seniors Normal in Spring

Question 38

Name 4 excess pulses?

Answer 38

Full Tight Wiry Overflowing

Question 39

Name the 4 deficiency pulses?

Answer 39

Soggy Weak Empty Thready

Question 40

Name the 5 PAIN pulses? Which one of those indicates severe pain?

Answer 40

Hidden **severe Moving Intermittent Tight Wiry

Question 41

What are the 3 intermittent pulses?

Answer 41

Dai Mai - intermittent Jie Mai - bound, knotted Cu Mai - skipping, hurried, abrupt

Question 42

What does DAI Mai **intermittent** pulse indicate?

Answer 42

**Deficiency** There isn't enough qi to push the blood through. It's like the pulse has to stop and take a rest before it can start going again. This happens with **regularly-irregular** pulses.

Question 43

What does Jue Mai **knotted** plus indicate?

Answer 43

**Obstruction** This could be qi stagnation, blood stasis, phlegm, or food stagnation. The obstruction is blocking the pulse from moving at a regular rhythm. This happens with **irregularly-irregular pulses.**

Question 44

What does Cu Mai **skipping/hurried** pulse indicate?

Answer 44

**Heat or Fire** When there's too much yang, it begins to separate and move ahead of the yin. So it's like the qi is skipping ahead of blood. This happens with pulses that are **irregularly-irregular and rapid.**