How do you take a TCM pulse?
A brief look at traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) The doctor will use three fingers to take the patient’s pulse at three positions on each wrist, using first gentle then stronger pressure to feel in depth. The quality of the pulse is judged according to 28 variables.
How many pulses are there in TCM?
There are about 29 pulse types in a TCM pulse diagnosis, including the floating pulse, scattered pulse, hollow pulse, deep pulse, hidden pulse, firm pulse, slow pulse, moderate pulse, swift pulse, surging pulse, thready pulse, long pulse, short pulse, feeble pulse, weak pulse, faint pulse, replete pulse, slippery pulse …
What can TCM tell from pulse?
Depth, rate, regularity, width, length, smoothness, stiffness, and strength are the eight elements of pulse condition at the six locations. The intensity of each element is determined by the sensation of the arterial pulse perceived by a tcm doctor.
What is the characteristic of normal pulse in TCM?
Characteristics of normal pulse, for healthy people, is that pulse can be felt at the cun, guan, and chi portions, having a frequency of about four to five beats per breath, neither floating nor deep, and neither big nor small. It is even, stable, harmonious, and forceful with regular rhythms.
What is a wiry pulse in TCM?
Wiry Pulse, Xian Mai: A pulse that feels straight and long, like a musical instrument string, usually occurring in liver and gallbladder disorders or severe pain.
What are the three pulses?
So, let us look at some different types of pulses that one can find in a typical Indian kitchen.
- Red Lentils (Masoor Dal)
- Bengal Gram (Chana Dal)
- Black Gram (Urad dal)
- Yellow Pigeon Peas (Tur Dal)
- Green Gram (Moong Dal)
- Chickpeas (Chole)
- Horse Gram (Kulthi dal)
What does weak pulse mean in TCM?
A weak pulse indicates a “deficiency” of some kind in the body. This pulse is often present with fatigue, weakness, insomnia, low blood pressure, and depression.
What does a slow pulse mean TCM?
A slow pulse indicates a “cold” condition or could point to a particular body system that functioning in an inefficient or sluggish way. This pulse is often present when there are problems with blood circulation, cold hands and feet, etc.
What does a floating pulse mean?
According to “Mai Jing”, the floating pulse is a pulse potent when felt with no pressure applied but impotent when felt with pressure applied, and the sunken pulse is a pulse impotent when felt with no pressure applied but potent when felt with pressure applied, while the hidden pulse is a pulse imperceptible until the …
What does a soggy pulse mean?
Soggy Pulse, Ru Mai: A superficial, thin, and soft pulse which can be felt on light touch like a thread floating on water, but grows faint on hard pressuring, indicating deficiency conditions or damp retention. 9.
What are Hyperdynamic pulses?
Hyperdynamic individuals were defined as individuals who had the uppermost 25% of both pulse rate and pulse pressure distributions. Hypodynamic individuals were defined as individuals who had the lowest 25% of both pulse rate and pulse pressure distribution.
What is knotted pulse?
The text states: Knotted Pulse refers to a pulse with a relatively slow rate, exhibiting irregular pauses; i.e. the pulse image is characterised by a slow pulse rate with an irregular rhythm. Knotted Pulse relates to disorders of preponderant Yin (yin sheng) and stagnant Qi (qijie).
What does a slippery pulse feel like in TCM?
This pulse is often fatigue, weakness, insomnia, nutrient deficiencies, and sub-optimal digestive absorption. One of the most typical wide pulses is called a rolling or slippery pulse. This pulse indicates food stagnation in the intestines, or a build-up of phlegm somewhere in the body.
What is a stringy pulse?
Medical Definition of thready pulse : a scarcely perceptible and commonly rapid pulse that feels like a fine mobile thread under a palpating finger.
What is paradoxical pulse?
By common consent, the term paradoxical pulse, or “pulsus paradoxus,” is considered to refer to a phenomenon in which the peripheral pulse is markedly diminished, or even abolished, during ordinary or quiet inspiration; it promptly reappears during expiration.
How many pulses can an expert Chinese doctor detect?
An expert Chinese Medicine practitioner can detect nine distinct pulses on each wrist, for a total of eighteen. The doctor will use three fingers, each carefully placed on top of a distinct pulse. The pulse has three levels at each place, for a total of nine pulses.
What is the proper position for feeling the pulse?
When feeling the pulse, the patient places the arm at the same level with the heart. The wrist is extended and the palm faces upward. This position facilitates smooth circulation of qi (vital energy) and blood.
What are the different types of pulse qualities?
In TCM, there are 28 different pulse qualities. Two common examples of texture or quality include: choppy, a rougher pulse with an uneven flow, and slippery, a pulse that feels like little ripples or beads are running underneath my fingers. Want a closer look? Click the chart to expand or download it.
What do the different points of the pulse felt on the wrist?
The different points of the pulse felt on the wrist represent the functions of different organs. When feeling the pulse, the patient places the arm at the same level with the heart. The wrist is extended and the palm faces upward. This position facilitates smooth circulation of qi (vital energy) and blood.