Pulse Diagnosis

Ge MAi

Drumskin Pulse aka Leather Pulse Forceful, wiry, hollow, taut, streched tightly, foreceful: forcelss and empty in the middle level A combination of the hollow and wiry pulses, feeling like the tight drumskin Loss of blood or essence (shortly after birth) (essence in terms of child) post abortion or miscarriage, after ejaculation

Chang Mai

Long Pulse A long pulse is one that can be felt beyond the cun or chi positions Hyperactivity of Liver Yang Heat Pattern A normal pulse if it is felt mainly at the middle level, lively, soft but with stregnth

Fu Mai

Floating Pulse aka Superficial Feels strong with slight pressure at the superficial level, but loses its strength when pressure is increased. Like a piece of wood floating on water Exterior Pattern: Floating, large, forceful Interior Pattern: Floating, large forceless

Shi Mai

Full Pulse Excess, replete- opposite of deficient pulse A full pulse feels forceful at all 3 levels (superficial, middle and deep) A bit less soft and pliable than normal Excess Pattern: Slow + full = cold Rapid + full = heat

Ji Mai

Racing Pulse A pulse that has 7 or more beats per Respiration. GREATER than 120 bpm Extreme exuberance of yang and exhaustion of yin Yang Qi desertion Normal in Children under 3 yo

Shuo Mai

Rapid Pulse A pulse that is 5-6 beats per respiration (more than 90 bpm) Heat Pattern of excess type (forceful) Heat Pattern of deficiency type (fine & force less -yin vacuity) Yang Qi desertion (large force less and rootless)

Cu Mai

Rapid irregularly interuppted pulse A pulse is rapid with pauses at irregular intervals Hasty, hurried, skipping, opp of slow, irregular, interrupted Full Heat due to exuberance of yang Qi stagnation +/- blood stasis (heat congealing the blood) Phlegm or food stagnation painful swelling

Dai Mai

Regularly intermittent pulse SLOW FORCE LESS, pauses regularly (sometimes for very long intervals - stops in a pattern) Insufficiency of yuan (original) qi Deficiency of qi and blood of the internal organs themselves - heart qi and heart blood are directly effected Obstruction - congenital heart condition

Ru Mai

Soggy Pulse aka Soft; Floating Soft, Fine THIS IS NOT a Large Pulse, it is the ONLY SMALL FLOATING PULSE Feels floating, soft and fine which becomes less distinct when further pressure is applied. Like a strand of cotton floating on the water Deficiency of Qi and Blood, Dampness

Hong Mai

Surging Pulse aka Tidal Pulse Summer Yang Pulse. Feels broad, large and is forceful at all levels, especially superficial. Comes with force but goes with less strength like waves hitting the beach Exuberant heat of excess type (not deficient, may be accompanied by fever with some damage to yin)

Lao Mai

Confined Pulse aka Firm Pulse/Prison Pulse Forceful + Wiry, Long. Excess Pulse. Tongue would be purple or pale It is a combination of pulse that feels very deep, wiry, long and forceful, when found it is strong Internal yin-cold of excess type. Accumulation disease such as hernia (qi stagnation) and abdominal masses (blood stasis- uterine fibroid, move cold trapped yin)

Deep Catagory

4 Pulses Deep, Hidden, Confined, Weak

Rapid Catagory

4 Pulses Rapid, Rapid/Irregular, Racing Pulse, Animated Pulse

Slow Catagory

4 Pulses Slow, Moderate, Rough, Slow/irregularly interupted

Empty Catagory

5 Pulses Empty, Faint, Fine, Regularly Intermittent, Short

Full Catagory

5 Pulses Full, Slippery, Tight, Long, Wiry

Floating Catagory

6 Pulses Floating, Surging, Soggy, Scattered, Hollow, Drumskin

Dong Mai

Animated Pulse Rapid, short, felt in guan position, forceful, slippery Combination of rapid and short (felt only at the guan position), slippery and forceful pulses, described as being "like a bean moving or spinning" Pain Pattern (intense pain - yin & yang fighting each other + puts spin on pulse Intense Fright

Chen Mai

Deep Pulse aka Sunken/Sinking A deep pulse is one that is distinct only at the deep level Interior Pattern

Xi or xu mai

Empty Pulse deficient, vacuous, floating, large, slow, forceless, weak in all postions An empty pulse feels floating, large and slow and becomes obviously soft without strength when slightly more pressure is applied. Not indistinct Vacuity patter, esp. deficiency of qi and blood

Wei Mai

Faint Pulse Minute-in floating position, very fine, very small, forceless, indistinct (effervescent) aka SLIGHT/MINUTE A faint pulse feels extremely fine, soft, indistinct and almost imperceptible (disappears) - really difficult to palpate, very weak Deficiency of yang, yin, qi and blood and in particular points to yang qi vacuity Extreme deficiency of vital substances

Xi Mai

Fine Pulse thin,force less, well-defined, thready, AKA Thready, small thin A fine pulse is thin, force less and feels like a well defined thread under the fingers (too narrow) Deficiency of yin and blood Dampness obstruction

Fu Mai (2)

Hidden Pulse Deeper then the deep pulse A hidden pulse is even deeper then the deep pulse and is described as a pulse that can not be felt until considerable pressure is applied to the level of the bone Inversion patter (sudden loss of consiousness with cold limbs) Yang qi being pulled in to the center, shock, extreme pain

Kou Mai

Hollow Pulse aka Scallion Stalk Pulse EMPTY in the MIDDLE. Floating, large force less, disappears w/pressure-abruptly disappears Floating and large under slight pressure but empty in the middle when heavier pressure is applied Like the stem of a green onion i.e. more substantial at the edge then in the middle Deficiency of blood due to heavy bleeding, menorrhagia, EMS, qi and yin

Huan Mai

Moderate Pulse Ping mai - peace & harmony Bing Mai - disease A pulse that has four beats per respiration - non pathologic; qi, root, shen A normal pulse if it is felt mainly at the middle level, lively, soft but with strength (defines stomach qi) Deficincy of spleen and stomach, Dampness

Se Mai

Rough Pulse aka Choppy Pulse, 3 + 5 Pulse Slightly slow, fine, thin, small in diameter, short, uneven quality A rough pulse is the opposite of a slippery pulse which feels slightly slower and uneven,somewhat fine and short. described as a knife scrapping bamboo Damage to Essence (Yin) Deficiency of Blood (not filling vessel) Qi stagnation and Blood stasis (or meeting stagnation and then pulling as in atherosclerosis)

San Mai

Scattered Pulse Loses integrity of its beat, also IRREGULAR pulse. Floating, large (broad, wide), vanishes with pressure Feels indistinct, large and without strength at the superficial level when slight pressure is increased Like dandelion seeds scattering in the air Dissipation of the orginal qi (yaun qi) and impending expiry of the organ qi (zhang fu zhi qi) Last stage of chronic disease

Duan Mai

Short Pulse - DOESN'T FILL THE CUN POSITION A pulse which can not be felt simultaneously at both the cun and chi positions Qi Vacuity - Force less Qi Stagnation - Forceful

Hua Mai

Slippery Pulse A slippery pulse feels smooth flowing and is described as "pearls rolling in a dish" Extremely fluid like ball bearings covered with viscous fluid,the opposite of choppy Excess: Phlegm- Rheum Food Stagnation Full Heat Pregnancy (abundance of qi and blood) 1st trimester more slippery on left = BOY more slippery on Right = GIRL

Chi Mai

Slow Pulse A Pulse that has 3 or less beats per respiration (less then 60 bpm) Internal Cold or heat accumulation (forceful) excess cold Vacuity Cold (forceless) yang vacuity

Jie Mai

Slow, Irregularly interrupted pulse aka BOUND, KNOTTED A pulse is slow with pauses at irregular intervals (skips beat at irregular intervals) Qi Stagnation, blood stasis and cold phlegm due to exuberance of yin. Food Stagantion

Jin Mai

Tight Pulse A tight pulse feels tense, forceful and vibrates to the left and right like a tightly stretched and twisted rope (a bigger, wiry pulse - broader and twisted) Invasion by cold evil Pain Pattern Obstruction

Ruo Mai

Weak Pulse Deep, Fine, Forceless A weak pulse feels deep, fine and forceless Deficiency of qi and blood. Overall vacuity, yang qi vacuity

Xian Mai

Wiry Pulse CONSTRAINT, fine, long, pushes back fingers, can be plucked; bowstring - LIVER QI STAGNATION OR PAIN PATHOLOGY A wiry pulse is taut, straight and long and feels like the string of a stringed musical instrument to the touch. Like 2nd or bottom string on guitar- has a hard edge to it, a lot of elasticity. Thicker and more forceful than the thready pulse Disorders of Liver and GB Pain Pattern Phlegm-rheum Malaria (alt fever & chills)