Pulses Flashcards
*Floating
usually an excess condition- like an external invasion, but if the blood or jinye cannot root the pulse it floats to the surface
A floating and soft pulse is called EMPTY.
*Sinking/Deep
Need to push all the way to the deep level to feel. Internal.
A very deep pulse is called HIDDEN.
A thin and soft deep pulse is called WEAK.
A wiry, big and strong pulse is called FIRM.
*Slow
Beats 3 beats per respiration. Indicates cold
*Rapid
Beats 6 beats per respiration. Indicates heat
*Slippery
Like a greasy round ball which slides under the fingers. Indicates dampness, phlegm, food stagnation, or pregnancy.
*Choppy
Life a knife being scraped over bamboo. Indicates blood stagnation, which can come from blood xu or perverse cold
Has a root which differentiates it from SCATTERED.
Can be felt at superficial and deep levels, which differentiates it from MINUTE.
*Empty
Floating and soft. Feels full and big, but gives away easily with pressure, feeling soft and weak. Shows up when the zheng qi is damaged- shen disturbance with blood xu- fright, palpitations, perspiration. Could be summer heat damaging the yuan qi, yin xu creating heat damaging yuan qi, or overall blood or yang xu.
HOLLOW pulse will feel floating and big, and more like an onion with empty in the center
*Full
Can be felt both superficially and deep with big strong beats. Indicates excess condition and accumulation.
*Long
Extends beyond the three positions. Indicates strong health
*Short
A deficient pulse, unable to fill all three positions. Kd yang xu, qi and blood xu
*Flooding
Rough and big with beats that rise strongly and fade as the recede (like a wave at the beach) due to heat causing the yang to rise. Likely an underlying yin or blood deficiency or damage to jinye (body fluids).
Minute
At times you can’t feel it. Caused more by a failure of the yang qi. Both qi and blood deficient due to yang being deficient.
Weaker than THIN
*Tight
Rises and falls with strength and vibrates to the left and right. Indicates cold can indicate qi stagnation
Not as strong as FULL, and WIRY has no vibration (and is more wiry)
*Leisurely
Exactly 4 beats/respiration, normal in every respect. Like a thread on a loom which has been tightened, and relaxed like a willow branch. Indicates health and abundance of shen
*Hollow
Feels floating, big and soft under slight pressure but without substance in the center. Usually appears after bleeding
LEATHER feels more strong and wiry but empty inside
Leather
WIRY, almost RAPID and without substance in the center. Blood xu with cold.
Wiry
Taut, long and strong whether under pressure or not. No vibration from left to right. Caused by excess liver qi, qi stagnation anywhere in the body and pain
*Firm
Deep, almost hidden. Strong, long and wiry. For a deep pulse this is opposite of LEATHER in that it is an excess condition– cold in the interior causing excess accumulation
*Soft
Floating, very thin, without strength. Superficial and weak. Damage to the blood or deficiency of the yin qi, damage to marrow
Similar to WEAK, but can only be felt at the superficial position
*Weak
Soft and thin at the deep level. Cannot be felt at the superficial level. All types of deficiency with yang qi unable to lift the qi.
Scattered
Superficial, indistinct, big and without strength when slight pressure is applied and then disappears when increased pressure applied. Deficiency of the yuan qi or severe Sp and Kd yang deficiency
Different than SOFT, floating, thin and soft. Different than EMPTY, floating and big. Different than HOLLOW, floating and without substance in center
Thin
Feels like a fine thread and is soft and weak. Qi and Blood Xu
Hidden
Cannot be felt until deep pressure, and even then beats seem to come from beneath tendons. Indicates cold blocking the meridians, channels or zangfu. Can be food stagnation
Deeper than SINKING/DEEP.
*Moving
Short, rapid, tight, and slippery with strong beats. Due to pain caused by cold overcoming the yang qi. Or fright or palps by qi confusion. Yin and Yang fighting with each other.
