TCM Pulse Diagnosis Flashcards
Floating Pulse
Pronounced at surface, deficient at lower depth
External Pattern
Floating & Tight
Wind Cold
Tai Yang External Excess Pattern
Floating & Rapid
Wind Heat
Floating, Empty, & Rootless
Chronic disease
Major blood loss
Severe Deficiency of Right Qi
Deep Pulse
Felt only at deep level
Interior disease
Weak Pulse
Deep, forceless, thin & small
Qi & Blood Deficiency
Yang Deficiency
Deep, Wiry and/or Full Pulse
Deep, forceful & tense; feels as though “tied” to the bone
Inner body stagnation
-Qi stagnation
-Interior excess heat
-Severe constipation
-Food stagnation
-Cold pain
-Phlegm retention
Rapid/Fast Pulse
6 beats per breath / 90-139 bpm
Heat (generally)
Fast & Forceful
Excess Heat
Fast & Thin
Deficiency Heat
Fast, Forceless & Large
Qi Deficiency
Slow Pulse
3 or less beats per breath / 40-60 bpm
Cold (generally)
Slow & Weak Pulse
Yang Qi Deficiency
Slow & Forceful
Obstruction of qi dynamic due to:
-cold
-phlegm turbidity
-blood stasis
Slow in Pregnancy
Uterine Deficiency Cold (insecurity of fetal qi)
Moderate Pulse
Slightly slower than normal (relaxed)
Smooth, flowing & resilient
No disease indications in absence of other s/s
Moderate, Slightly Less Forceful
Qi Deficiency
Moderate, Slightly more Forceful
Dampness
Slippery Pulse
Smooth, flowing, resilient; “like pearls in a dish”
Phlegm
Food Stagnation
Damp
Normal in pregnancy & athletes
Slippery & Fast
Damp Heat
Slippery & Large
Internal Excess Heat
Rough or Choppy Pulse
Opposite of slippery; “like a knife scraping bamboo”
Thin, slow, short & rough; beating w/ difficulty
Rough & Forceful
Blood Stasis
Rough & Forceless
Qi & Blood Deficiency maybe w/ Blood Stagnation
Wiry Pulse
Long, straight & tense, like a guitar string; usually somewhat forceful
Stagnation (generally)
Liver Patterns
Phlegm Cold / Phlegm Rheum
Pain
Cold Shan, ST Deficiency Cold, Acute Tetany, Ascites, Shao Yang Disease, Chest Bi, etc
Wiry and Empty
Ascending Yang due to Yin Deficiency
Spleen Stomach Deficiency Cold
LIV/SP or LIV/ST Disharmony
Tight Pulse
Like a twisted rope drawn tight
Similar to wiry but w/ marked forcefulness
Stagnation; more likely when there’s Cold or Pain
Empty or Deficient Pulse
Large & Forceless; slightly floating; palpable on surface but empty on firm pressure
Qi Deficiency
Qi & Blood Deficiency
Summerheat Damage
Empty & Fast
Yin Deficiency
Soggy or Soft Pulse
Similar to empty but thin rather than large; main feature is softness
Dampness
Qi Deficiency
Qi & Blood Deficiency
Loss of Blood due to collapse
Taxation Detriment w/ damage to Essence Blood
Full or Excess Pulse
Forceful, large, long, slightly wiry, palpable at all 3 depths
Food Stagnation or excess in bowels w/ bound stool
Normal in healthy/robust patients w/o disease signs
Surging or Flooding Pulse
Similar to full but stronger coming than going; like waves beating against rocks
Yang Ming Channel Disease
In Deficiency Patterns: serious damage to Right Qi w/ risk of suddent worsening of condition
Normal in healthy patients during summer
Thin Pulse
Thin & straight like a thread but palpable w/ moderate pressure; middle depth
Qi & Blood Deficiency
Thin & Fast
Yin Deficiency
Thin & Faint
Yang Deficiency
Thin & Wiry
Liver Yin Deficiency
Faint Pulse
Barely perceptible
Severe Acute Deficiency:
-loss of blood
-loss of fluids through profuse sweat, diarrhea, etc
-Collapse of Yang
Long Pulse
Extends beyond pulse positions
Long & resilient: no disease indications; abundant qi & blood
Long & wiry: similar to wiry indications (stagnation)
Short Pulse
Only felt at one position
Forceless: Qi & Blood Deficiency; Yang Qi Deficiency; Hemorrage
Forceful: Phlegm accumulation; Food Stagnation; Impaired flow of Qi & Blood
Irregular Pulse
Pulse skips beat w/in 50-beat intervals
Regular skips: Debilitation of the Qi of the Zang organs, particularly the Heart
Heart Bi patterns w/ Blood Stasis & Phlegm Turbidity obstructing the qi of the chest
