Term
|
Definition
Cun, Guan, Chi
Right hand cun=lung, guan=spleen, chi=kidney
Left hand cun=heart, guan=liver, chi=kidney |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Depth (superficial or deep)
Speed (rapid or slow)
Strength (forceful or weak)
Shape (thick or thready, soft or hard)
Rhythm |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Four beats per breath, smooth, even, and forceful. May vary due to age, sex, body constitution, emotional state, and climatic changes. |
|
|
Term
| Superficial pulse (fu mai) |
|
Definition
| Felt with gentle touch. Indicates exterior syndromes and is present at the early stage of exogenous disease. A superficial pulse may also be present in prolonged endogenous diseases. In this case, the pulse is superficial, large, and weak, indicating outward floating of yang qi. This is a critical sign of the disease |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A deep pulse is felt only on heavy pressure. It indicates interior syndromes. If the pulse is deep and forceful, it indicates interior syndromes of excess type. If the pulse is deep and weak, it indicates interior syndromes of deficiency type. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Less than four beats per breath. Slow pulse indicates cold syndromes. If slow and forceful, it indicates an interior syndrome of exces type cuased by the retention of yin cold in the interior. If the slow pulse is weak, it indicates the interior syndrome of deficiency type due to deficiency of yang qi. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
More than five beats per breath. A rapid pulse indicates heat syndromes. Rapid and forceful = excess heat retained in the interior and the antipathogenic qi is still strong.
Rapid and weak = Deficiency of yin in a prolonged illness, producing deficiency heat in the interior.
Rapid, large, weak, and empty = induced by outward floating of deficiency yang. |
|
|
Term
| Pulse of deficiency type (xu mai) |
|
Definition
| Forceless pulses felt on the three regions and the three levels of pressure. Indicates syndromes of deficiency type due to deficiency of qi and blood. (Causing a weakness in activating blood circulation) |
|
|
Term
| Pulse of excess type (Shi mai) |
|
Definition
| general term for all the forceful pulses felt on the three regions at the three levels of pressure. Indicates syndromes of excess type (Struggle of strong antipathogentic qi agains the hyperactive pathogenic factor bringing on excessive qi and blood). |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Broad, large and forceful like roaring waves which come on powerfully and fade away. If a surging pulse lacks the momentum of roaring waves, it is called a large pulse.
Surging pulse indicates excessive heat, and often occurs together with a rapid pulse. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Feels like a fine thread, but is distinct and clear. Indicates deficiency due to overstrain and stress or deficiency of qi an dblood. Often presents with patients with weak body consitutions in a prolonged illness manifesting as yin deficiency and blood deficiency. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Feels smooth and flowing like perarls rolling on a dish. It indicates phlegm and retained fluid, retention of food and excess heat. This pulse often occurs in women during prenancy, indicating sufficient and harmonious qi and blood. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A hesitant pulse feels rough and uneven. It indicates stagnation of qi, stagnation of blood, impairment of essence and deficiency of blood. Hesitant and forceful = stagnation of qi and blood blocking vessels and impairing circulation of blood. Hesitant and weak=essence is impaired and blood is insufficient, and the vessels are not filled and blood circulation is retarded. |
|
|
Term
| String-taut pulse (xuan mai) |
|
Definition
| A string taut pulse feels taut, straight and long, giving the feeling of a string of a violin. It indicates disorders of the liver and gallbladder, painful syndromes, and phlegm and retained fluid. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Feels tight and forceful like a stretched rope. It indicates cold, pain, and retention of food. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
A soft pulse is superficial and thready, and hits the fingers without strenght. It indicates damp disorders.
(because pathogenic damp is viscous and stagnant, and when invades vessels, it blocks qi and blood and gives rise to a superficial, thready and forceless pulse). |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Deep and thready, and hits the fingers without strenght. It indicates various syndromees due to deficiency of both qi and blood. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Feels hurried and rapid with irregular missed beats. Indicates excessive yang heat, stagnation of qi and blood and retention of phlegm or food. Means failure of yin to restrain yang. Abrupt and forceful = present in heat syndromes of excess type due to stagnation of qi and blood, retention of phlegm or food, or selling and pain. Abrupt and weak is a sign of prostration. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Slow with irregular missed beats. Indicates excessive yin, accumulation of qi, retention of cold phlegm and stagnant blood. Cold phlegm and stagnant blood block the vessels, while excessive yin means failure of yang to arrive. |
|
|
Term
| Regularly intermittent pulse (dai mai) |
|
Definition
| Slow and weak with missed beats at regular intervals. It is associated with declining zang qi; it also indicates wind syndromes, painful syndromes, and disorders due to emotional fear and fright, or traumatic contusions and sprains. Slow and weak = the declining of zang qi means insufficiency of qi and blood and may create discontinuation of qi flowing in the vessels. Presence of a regularly intermittent pulse in wind syndromes, painful syndromes and disorders due to emotional fear and firght or traumatic contusions and sprains is due to disturbance of the heart qi leading to the discontinuation of the qi flowing in the vessels. |
|
|
