Pulses - Slippery, Choppy, Empty, Full, Long and Short

Question 1

What is the sensation of a Slippery Pulse?

Answer 1

Always even, with smooth, rounded pulsations, like running your fingers along a string of pearls

Question 2

What is the meaning of a slippery pulse?

Answer 2

Phlegm accumulation (which gives rise to all disease)
Food stagnation
Yuan Qi Deficiency
Pregnancy if the menses are normally on time

Question 3

Do slippery and rapid pulses occur together?

Answer 3

Yes, slippery and rapid pulses often occur together.

Bear in mind that rapid denotes 6 beats per breath, while slippery refers to the shape of the pulse’s wave form

Question 4

What does a slippery pulse in the cun position indicate?

Answer 4

Phlegm obstruction in the chest – acid reflux and puking; stiff tongue; cough

Question 5

What does a slippery pulse in the guan position indicate?

Answer 5

Long-standing food accumulation or

Heat in the Liver obstructing the function of the Spleen

Question 6

What does a slippery pulse in the chi position indicate?

Answer 6

Thirst
Dysentery
Hernias at the inguinal and/or abdominal areas
Dysuria

Question 7

What is the sensation of a choppy pulse?

Answer 7

Thin and slow, this pulse does not completely fill all three pulse positions
It is felt at irregular depths, and the pulsations may not hit all three fingers simultaneously
Like running your fingers over a plank of wood or scraping bamboo with a knife, it feels as though something rough is passing under your fingers

Question 8

What is the meaning of a choppy pulse?

Answer 8

Blood deficiency
Yin deficiency
Loss of Jing
Rebellious Stomach Qi
Spontaneous sweating with injury to jin/fluids
Exterior Cold-Damp at the level of Ying-Qi causing blood stagnation
Infertility due to Jing and Blood deficiency
Amennorrhea
A choppy pulse during pregnancy means the woman has insufficient blood to nourish the fetus

Question 9

How to not confuse a choppy with the Scattered, Intermittent or Minute pulse?

Answer 9

The choppy pulse has a root, does not miss beats, and does not fade in and out of being palpable.

Question 10

What does a choppy pulse at the cun position indicate?

Answer 10

Heart-Blood deficiency leading to chest pain

Question 11

What does a choppy pulse at the guan position indicate?

Answer 11

Stomach deficiency, spleen injury

Fullness in the chest and tightness between the ribs

Question 12

What does a choppy pulse in the chi position indicate?

Answer 12

Damage to the Blood and Essense in the Lower Jiao – Intestinal binding – Constipation and/or gas
Dribbling , difficult urination
Bleeding from the lower orifices

Question 13

What is the sensation of an empty pulse?

Answer 13

Floating with slow, large beats… when pressed past the superficial level, the pulse lacks force

Question 14

What is the meaning of an empty pulse?

Answer 14

Attack of summer-heat
Spontaneous perspiration (unconsolidated Wei-Qi leading to damage to fluids)
Rapid Heart-beat (due to Heart-Blood Deficiency)
Palpitations due to fright
Yin Deficiency Heat

Question 15

How to not confuse with a Hollow pulse?

Answer 15

When pressed a Hollow pulse will still be felt at the edges of fingers – like pressing down on a scallion.
An Empty pulse becomes soft and forceless, and has no defined edges.

Question 16

What does it mean to have an empty pulse at the cun position?

Answer 16

Heart-Blood Deficiency

Question 17

What does it mean to have an empty pulse at the Guan position?

Answer 17

Abdominal distention
Slow digestion
Difficulty in eating

Question 18

What does it mean to have an empty pulse in the chi position?

Answer 18

Damage to Jing and Blood
Yin Deficiency Heat
Steaming Bone syndrome (severe yin deficiency; heat at bone level)

Question 19

What is the sensation of a full pulse?

Answer 19

This pulse has large, strong beats that can be felt at any depth
It is slightly wiry, and is also long, seeming to go past both cun and chi positions

Question 20

What is the meaning of a full pulse?

Answer 20

Perverse heat accumulation in any of the 3 jiaos -- heat pathology can be at the external or internal level
Mania and Delirium
Food poisoning
Repeated vomiting
Constipation
Pain due to Qi stagnation

Question 21

How not to confuse a full pulse with a tight pulse?

Answer 21

A tight pulse feels like a tightly stretched rope that is vibrating
The shape of the full pulse is such that it dips below the level of palpation between beats – with a tight pulse the radial artery never dips below palpation
A confined pulse, while also very strong, is felt only at the bone level

Question 22

What does a full pulse at the cun position indicate?

Answer 22

Wind-heat at the chest, throat and face
Stuffy chest
Throat pain
Stiff tongue
Headache
Fever

Question 23

What does a full pulse at the guan position indicate?

Answer 23

Stagnant heat afflicting the middle jiao
Abdominal distentionW
Feeling stuffed and full

Question 24

What does a full pulse at the chi position indicate?

Answer 24

Excess heat in the lower jiao
low back pain
abdominal pain
constipation

Question 25

What is the sensation of a long pulse?

Answer 25

The long pulse flows past the chi and cun position

Question 26

What is the meaning of the long pulse?

Answer 26

If the pulsations are neither too big or small, are level and not rapid, this indicates health, and strong, healthy qi
If the pulse feels long and taut like a stretched string, it indicates:
Toxic Heat in the Blood
Wind-Phlegm causing shaking
Full-Heat in the Yang Ming channels

Question 27

What is the difference between a long pulse and a wiry pulse?

Answer 27

A long pulse is not as hard, with as well-defined edges as the Wiry pulse

Question 28

What is the sensation of a short pulse?

Answer 28

The short pulse does not fill up all three pulse positions completely
It may be felt mostly at the guan position, or in two positions and not the other

Question 29

What is meaning of a short pulse?

Answer 29

Qi and blood deficiency
Damage to or deficiency of Lung-Qi, leading to impaired circulation of blood
Kidney -yang deficiency causing qi to be obstructed and unable to nourish the vessels.
Phlegm accumulation
Food accumulation

Question 30

What does a short, slippery and rapid pulse indicate?

Answer 30

Interior damp-heat or alcohol poisoning

Question 31

What does a short and floating pulse indicate?

Answer 31

blood deficiency

Question 32

What does a short, strong and deep pulse indicate?

Answer 32

Fullness at the chest and abdomen

Question 33

What does a short, thin, weak, with rough uneven beats indicate?

Answer 33

Choppy pulse

Question 34

What does a short pulse that does not fill the cun position indicate?

Answer 34

Deficiency of Yang Qi at the upper part of the body

Headaches

Question 35

What does a short pulse that does fill the chi position indicate?

Answer 35

Deficiency of the Yang Qi int he lower jiao

abdominal pain