Pulses Flashcards
(26 cards)
1
Q
Hasty Pulse
A
- Rushing and rapid arrival with interruptions; the length between interruptions is variable, this is why some call it an “irregularly irregular” pulse. It misses what feels like one beat.
- Generally, all the skipping pulses imply insufficient heart qi, blood stasis, or phlegm turbidity.
2
Q
Bound/Knotted Pulse
A
- This pulse is slow, and the beats are irregularly irregular, usually with a skip of one beat at variable intervals
- Generally: Yin exuberance, bound qi
3
Q
Intermittent Pulse
A
Arrives interrupted, regularly intermittent; the pulse arrives after a long time.
4
Q
Floating Pulse
A
- Easily palpated with slight pressure; comparably weaker or more unclear when pressing heavily.
- Floating pulse is (mostly) disease in the yang exterior
- The general idea is mostly exterior patterns or interior deficiency
5
Q
Deep/Sinking Pulse
A
- Not palpable with slight pressure; can only be palpated under somewhat heavier pressure. There is an excess quality when pressed.
- The general idea is that sinking by itself implies interior condition, but exterior cases with obstructed yang can manifest as tight and deep
6
Q
Rapid Pulse
A
- Frequent and rapid at arrival, six or more arrivals within one respiration. (90+BPM or a little less)
The general idea is that rapid is heat, but yin vacuity can be rapid because it also causes heat.
7
Q
Slow pulse
A
- Slow and moderate on arrival, three (or less) arrivals within the respiration. (<60BPM)
- The general idea is cold, turbid phlegm, and sometimes blood stasis.
8
Q
Racing Pulse
A
A pulse rate 7 or more beats per breath, or 120-140bpm.
9
Q
Stringlike/Bowstring/Wiry Pulse
A
- Straight and long, as if pressing a violin string. It is tense even between beats.
- Generally seen as Liver/Gallbladder problems, pain patterns, or phlegm-rheum.
- You can also see it in Liver qi stagnation.
10
Q
Tight Pulse
A
- Tense feeling even in between beats. The shape is described as a stretched taut whirling rope.
- It sometimes can be felt moving from beat to beat back and forth from pinky to thumb side (it doesn’t have to, but if it does-it distinguishes this pulse strongly from a wiry pulse)
- Tight is various pains (sometimes) caused by cold, panting and coughing, epilepsy, and spitting of cold phlegm
- Like the wiry pulse, I often see this pulse when people are in pain
11
Q
Moderate/Relaxed/Leisurely Pulse
A
- At the slow side of the normal pulse, perhaps between 60-70BPM
- Harmonious and not hard. (above 3 beats/breath, but close to it)
- It can very well be a normal pulse (平脉/ 平脈/ Píng mài/Ping4 Mak6)
- If it is found with dysharmony, it is usually combined with another pulse.
12
Q
Surging / Flooding Pulse
A
- Exuberant at arrival and debilitated at departure
- Tin-Yau So said: the onset is longer and more forceful than the falling away
- I say you can feel it come up strong and fast, but have trouble feeling it go back down, almost as if it had disappeared
- Generally associated with warm or heat conditions due to exuberant internal heat. It can appear in vacuity cases like tuberculosis especially when the person coughs up blood with right qi in decline and the overall condition deteriorating
13
Q
Fine/Thready Pulse
A
- Fine as a thread. Easily palpated.
- Generally associated with various deficiencies: yin and blood deficiency, damage due to overstrain, dampness.
14
Q
Rough / Choppy
A
- There is a coarse vibration that happens at the top of each wave that feels like your fingers are sitting on something being dragged along a rough surface during each beat and then stopping.
- Generally associated with qi stagnation, blood stasis, essence damage, blood insufficiency. FCM: blood stasis, and dual vacuity of blood and qi
15
Q
Slippery Pulse
A
- Feels like something slipping by your fingers from patient’s elbow toward fingers.
- Arrives and departs smoothly; round and slippery when palpated, like “pearls rolling in a basin”.
- Generally associated with phlegm-rheum, food stagnation, excess internal heat
16
Q
Hollow/Scallion-Stalk Pulse
A
- At the middle depth, it feels like it spreads apart in the middle of your finger so that you feel beating on the sides but not the middle of your finger when you press into it.
- Floating and wide, and yet has an empty center.
- Scallion stalk is blood loss
17
Q
Soggy / soft pulse
A
- Floating and fine and forceless
- Associated with dual vacuity of blood and qi
- Also associated with damp encumbrance
18
Q
Scattered Pulse
A
Wide and floating under the surface layer and lacks root
can be felt at the surface but disappears as soon as you apply pressure
indicates dissapation of qi and blood and the expiration of the essential qi of the bowels and viscera
19
Q
Firm / Confined / Prison Pulse
A
- Forceful and sinking, and a tense/wiry that feels “tied to the bone”
- very deep
- If there is cold, then there will be a firm hard pulse with surplus in the interior with pain in the heart and abdomen, accumulation of stagnant liver qi or decreased transforming ability of the spleen can all cause this pulse.
- Mounting, concretions and conglomerations.
20
Q
Leather / Drumskin pulse
A
- Floating and hard on the surface but nothing underneath
- can be seen in internal deficiency of essence, blood, and cold evil qi
21
Q
Long Pulse
A
Exceeds three positions
indicates good health
22
Q
short pulse
A
- fails to fill chi / proximal and cun / distal positions - or only felt at the middle.
- Generally associated with dual vacuity of blood and qi or impaired flow of blood and qi
23
Q
hidden pulse
A
- deep, need to press hard to feel it
- sudden loss of yang qi and deep lying cold
24
Q
stirred / moving pulse
A
- rapid, slippery and short
- generally associated with fright and fear or pain causing qi binding
- is considered to represent yin and yang / qi fighting with one another
25
Vacuous Pulse
- floating, big and slow
- appears wehn the upright qi is damaged
26
Replete Pulse
Wide, long, tense forceful both superficially and deeply, strong when coming up and receding
- appears where there is an accumulation of yang heat evil qi
