Pulses - Slippery, Choppy, Empty, Full, Long and Short Flashcards
What is the sensation of a Slippery Pulse?
Always even, with smooth, rounded pulsations, like running your fingers along a string of pearls
What is the meaning of a slippery pulse?
Phlegm accumulation (which gives rise to all disease)
Food stagnation
Yuan Qi Deficiency
Pregnancy if the menses are normally on time
Do slippery and rapid pulses occur together?
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
What does a slippery pulse in the cun position indicate?
Phlegm obstruction in the chest – acid reflux and puking; stiff tongue; cough
What does a slippery pulse in the guan position indicate?
Long-standing food accumulation or
Heat in the Liver obstructing the function of the Spleen
What does a slippery pulse in the chi position indicate?
Thirst
Dysentery
Hernias at the inguinal and/or abdominal areas
Dysuria
What is the sensation of a choppy pulse?
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
What is the meaning of a choppy pulse?
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
How to not confuse a choppy with the Scattered, Intermittent or Minute pulse?
The choppy pulse has a root, does not miss beats, and does not fade in and out of being palpable.
What does a choppy pulse at the cun position indicate?
Heart-Blood deficiency leading to chest pain
What does a choppy pulse at the guan position indicate?
Stomach deficiency, spleen injury
Fullness in the chest and tightness between the ribs
What does a choppy pulse in the chi position indicate?
Damage to the Blood and Essense in the Lower Jiao – Intestinal binding – Constipation and/or gas
Dribbling , difficult urination
Bleeding from the lower orifices
What is the sensation of an empty pulse?
Floating with slow, large beats… when pressed past the superficial level, the pulse lacks force
What is the meaning of an empty pulse?
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
How to not confuse with a Hollow pulse?
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.
What does it mean to have an empty pulse at the cun position?
Heart-Blood Deficiency
What does it mean to have an empty pulse at the Guan position?
Abdominal distention
Slow digestion
Difficulty in eating
What does it mean to have an empty pulse in the chi position?
Damage to Jing and Blood
Yin Deficiency Heat
Steaming Bone syndrome (severe yin deficiency; heat at bone level)
What is the sensation of a full pulse?
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
What is the meaning of a full pulse?
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
How not to confuse a full pulse with a tight pulse?
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
What does a full pulse at the cun position indicate?
Wind-heat at the chest, throat and face Stuffy chest Throat pain Stiff tongue Headache Fever
What does a full pulse at the guan position indicate?
Stagnant heat afflicting the middle jiao
Abdominal distentionW
Feeling stuffed and full
What does a full pulse at the chi position indicate?
Excess heat in the lower jiao
low back pain
abdominal pain
constipation
