All the secrets of Chinese medicine are concentrated in this one action

Many people are full of praise for the treatment methods of traditional Chinese medicine. In fact, these treatment methods all rely on fast and accurate diagnostic methods. So how does traditional Chinese medicine diagnose diseases? The answer is taking the pulse, also known as pulse diagnosis. It is to gently press the patient's artery with your hand, and you can know the patient's condition based on the pulse. Let's take a look at the principles of Chinese medicine pulse diagnosis!

The principle of pulse diagnosis

As early as the fifth century BC, examples of pulse diagnosis had appeared in my country and have been passed down to this day. This fully proves the powerful vitality of Chinese medicine pulse diagnosis and its important scientific basis.

Modern pulse research has confirmed that the formation of the pulse mainly depends on the function of the heart, the function of blood vessels, and the quality and quantity of blood. These three aspects determine certain morphological changes in the pulse, that is, the image of the pulse, which is also the pulse image. The pulse condition can first show the lesions of these three factors, and secondly, it can infer other lesions based on them. Obviously, the pulse condition has its objective existence factors.

The heart is the driving organ that forms the pulse, so the pulse can first reflect the disease of the heart. Conditions such as coronary heart disease, poor blood supply to the heart, and low heart function can be reflected in the pulse. For example, when coronary heart disease develops, the heart may stop beating, and at this time the pulse can be detected to indicate that the heart has stopped beating.

The contraction and relaxation of human blood vessels fully reflects the changes in the quality, quantity, speed and other information of blood flow. Moreover, there are some lesions in the blood vessels themselves, such as arteriosclerosis, which can be reflected in the pulse and diagnosed by taking the pulse.

The pulse characteristics of knot pulse are slow pulse, occasional pauses and irregularity. Diseases such as coronary heart disease, rheumatic heart disease, and hyperthyroidism heart disease may cause pulse arrest.

The pulse characteristics of string pulse are increased vascular tension and straight and long pulse ends. A stringy pulse reflects hypertension, increased blood flow resistance, and hardening of the blood vessel walls.

The pulse characteristics of the Ru pulse are thin pulse, superficial position, and weakness, that is, floating, thin and weak. When the human body suffers from gastrointestinal cold (no appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, etc., insufficient intake), acute gastroenteritis, or vomiting, the body fluid decreases and the qi and blood are insufficient, which can be reflected in the pulse as a wet pulse.

How to take the pulse

1. Finger selection

When diagnosing a patient, a doctor should use his left hand to diagnose the patient's right hand or use his right hand to diagnose the patient's left hand. When diagnosing, the tips of the three fingers should be aligned, the fingers should be slightly arched and tilted, and should be at an angle of about 45 degrees to the patient's body surface, because this angle allows the base of the fingers to fit tightly against the pulse beat for easier pulse diagnosis.

2. Cloth finger

When the doctor inserts his finger, he first presses the middle finger on the artery on the inner side of the radial styloid process, which is called the middle finger joint. Then he presses the index finger in front of the joint to determine the inch, and the ring finger behind the joint to determine the length. The fingers should be placed at an appropriate density.

3. Finger Movement

Doctors' finger movements can be summarized into 7 types.

(1) Lifting method: refers to the method in which doctors use light pressure on the skin to feel the pulse. Also known as "floating" or "light taking".

(2) Pressing method: refers to the method by which the doctor presses on the tendons and bones with greater force to feel the pulse. Also known as "sinking and taking" and "heavy taking".

(3) Xun method: There are two meanings: First, Xun means to look for, which means that the doctor can use light or heavy force with his fingers, push and press left and right, carefully observe the pulse, and look for the place where the pulse is most obvious. The second method refers to the method of taking the pulse by pressing on the muscle with force that is neither too light nor too heavy, which is called "taking the pulse in the middle".

(4) Follow-up method: refers to a method of taking the pulse by moving the fingertips up and down along the axis of the meridian, mainly to feel the length of the pulse.

(5) Pushing method: With the fingers and eyes pointed at the pulse spine, follow the movement of the pulse and push left and right, inside and outside to feel the speed, strength and trend of the pulse.

(6) General pressure: This is the method of taking the pulse using three fingers of equal force at the same time.

(7) Single press: a method of diagnosing a pulse using a single finger. It is mainly used to understand the changing characteristics of the position, number, shape, strength and other characteristics of the pulse in the Cun, Guan and Chi parts.

How does Chinese medicine take the pulse?

(1) First, you need to feel the location of the pulse. Some pulses can be felt with a light touch, while others require force to feel. This is how the pulse is distinguished between a floating pulse and a sinking pulse.

(2) The strength of the pulse. A strong pulse is a full pulse, while a weak pulse is a weak pulse.

(3) Pulse frequency: A healthy person’s pulse should beat 4 times between one inhalation and one exhalation. A pulse less than 4 times is a slow pulse, and a pulse more than 5 times but less than 7 times is a rapid pulse.

(4) The tension of the pulse. If you press it, it feels like pressing on a guitar string. It is strong and hard, and is a string pulse. If the pulse feels loose and slow, it is a slow pulse.

(5) The evenness of the pulse, whether the rhythm is even, and whether the strength and size are consistent. If the rhythm is uneven, there are accelerated pulses, knotted pulses, and alternate pulses. If the strength and size are uneven, there are weak pulses and scattered pulses.

(6) The fluency of the pulse, that is, how smoothly the pulse comes. A smooth pulse is called a slippery pulse, while a rough pulse is called a rough pulse.

(7) The length of the pulse, that is, the length of the axial range of the pulse that can be felt by the fingers, is divided into long pulse and short pulse.

(8) The width of the pulse, that is, the radial range of the pulse that can be felt by the fingers, is divided into large pulse and thin pulse.

Common pulse condition

The pulse of a healthy person should beat 4 times per breath, with pulses in the Cun, Guan and Chi parts. The pulse should be neither floating nor sinking, but gentle and strong. The deep pulse of Chi should be strong. Common pulses of diseases include floating pulse, sinking pulse, slow pulse, rapid pulse, weak pulse, strong pulse, slippery pulse, surging pulse, thin pulse, and stringy pulse.

1. Floating pulse

It can be felt by light pressing, and reduced by heavy pressing. It is Yang and superficial. The characteristic is that the pulse is superficial. Main disease: Exterior symptoms. When the exogenous pathogens stay on the surface, the Wei Qi resists the pathogens, and the pulse Qi beats outside, so the pulse position is shallow. Floating and strong indicates reality; floating and weak indicates emptiness. Long-term internal injuries are caused by the decline of yin and blood, insufficient yang energy, floating of false yang, and a weak and large pulse, which are critical symptoms. Floating and hollow in the middle is called Pi, which has edges but no center, like pointing your finger at a green onion, and it indicates blood loss; floating and pulsating is called Ge, which is hollow in the middle and hard on the outside, like pressing the skin of a drum with your finger. Compared with Pi, it is hollower in the inside and harder on the outside, and it indicates a lack of communication between Yin and Yang; floating but not gathering is called San, which disperses without gathering when pressed, and its coming and going are unclear, and it indicates blood loss.

2. Deep pulse

If you press lightly, you won't feel it, but press hard, you will feel it. This is Yin and inside. The characteristic is that the pulse is located deep below the muscle. Main disease: internal symptoms. Strong means the inside is full, weak means the inside is empty. When evil is trapped inside, Qi and blood are blocked and Yang Qi is not flowing smoothly, the pulse will be deep and strong, which indicates that the interior is full; when the internal organs are weak, Yang is deficient and Qi is sunken, the pulse Qi cannot beat, and the pulse will be deep and weak. If the pulse is deep and almost nonexistent, it means it is hidden. It will be felt only when it touches the bone. If it is heavier than the deep one, it indicates that evil is blocked. If the pulse is deep and strong, it means it is firm. If it is deep and stiff and beats against the fingers, it indicates that there is fullness inside.

3. Slow pulse

The pulse is slow, with three or two beats per breath[2] (less than 60 beats per minute). Main disease: cold syndrome. Strong is real cold, weak is false cold. Coldness causes stagnation, slow circulation of Qi and blood, and a slow but strong pulse, which are symptoms of real cold. Yang Qi is deficient and unable to circulate Qi and blood. The pulse is slow and weak, which is a symptom of deficiency-cold. Athletes and people who do heavy physical labor often have a slow pulse, which is a physiological state. Knotted pulse: The pulse is slow with irregular intervals. Main diseases: Yin excess and Qi stagnation, cold phlegm, and blood stasis. Analysis: Yin and cold accumulate inside the body, and the flow of Qi in the meridians is blocked, so the pulse is slow and sometimes stops. Cold phlegm and blood stasis cause qi stagnation and blockage of pulse qi. Therefore, if the pulse is slow and stopped due to qi deficiency and blood weakness, it will be knotted and weak.

A slow and intermittent pulse is called an intermittent pulse: a slow pulse that stops and cannot return and change on its own indicates qi loss or obstruction of the meridians. It is not a problem for pregnant women to experience this. The pulse has pauses and there is a fixed number of pauses. Main disease: Weakness of internal organs’ qi. Analysis: The internal organs are weak and the vital energy is insufficient, which makes the pulses unable to connect.

A slow and intermittent pulse is called a knotted pulse: the pulse is slow and has irregular intervals. Main diseases: Yin excess and Qi stagnation, cold phlegm, and blood stasis. Analysis: Yin and cold accumulate inside the body, and the flow of Qi in the meridians is blocked, so the pulse is slow and sometimes stops. Cold phlegm and blood stasis cause qi stagnation and blockage of pulse qi. Therefore, if the pulse is slow and stopped due to qi deficiency and blood weakness, it will be knotted and weak.

4. Counting the pulse

The pulse is rapid, with five or six beats per breath (over 90 beats per minute). The characteristic is that the pulse rate is faster than the normal pulse, and all pulses except slow, knotted and alternate can be seen. Main disease: heat syndrome. Strong heat is real heat, weak heat is false heat. When an exogenous febrile disease first occurs, the internal organs are hot, the evil heat is agitated, the blood circulation is accelerated, and the pulse is fast and strong, which is called real heat. Yin deficiency and excessive fire, insufficient body fluid and blood, endogenous heat, and a rapid and weak pulse are all signs of deficiency heat.

5. Weak pulse

The pulses in the three parts of Cun, Guan and Chi are all weak. Press hard on the void. It should refer to looseness, which is a general term for all weak pulses. Main disease: Deficiency syndrome: mostly due to deficiency of both Qi and blood. Insufficient Qi and blood make it difficult to stimulate the pulse, so it feels empty when pressed.

6. Solid pulse

The pulses in the three parts of Cun, Guan and Chi are all strong. Main disease: Positive syndrome: The evil qi is hyperactive and the righteous qi is sufficient, the righteous and evil qi fight against each other, the qi and blood fill the meridians, and the pulsation is strong.

7. Slippery pulse

It should be smooth and fluent when pressed, as smooth as pressing a ball. Main diseases: Phlegm and fluid, food accumulation, and symptoms of excess heat. Mostly seen in young and middle-aged people with abundant Qi and blood. A slippery pulse in pregnant women is a sign that qi and blood are abundant and nourishing the fetus. Are all physiological phenomena.

8. Hongmai

The pulse is large and powerful, like the surging waves, rising and falling. Come big and go long. Main disease: excessive heat. When internal heat is excessive, the blood vessels expand and the pulse becomes wide. Due to the excessive heat and burning of evil, the qi surges and the blood rushes, causing the pulse to fluctuate greatly.

9. Thin veins

The pulse is as thin as a thread when pressed, with obvious rise and fall. Main disease: Deficiency syndrome, mostly seen in yin deficiency and blood deficiency syndrome. It also treats dampness diseases. Deficiency of yin blood cannot fill the meridians, or dampness blocks the meridians, resulting in a thin and weak pulse.

10. String pulse

It is straight and long, and the fingers are placed firmly under it, as if pressing the strings of a musical instrument. It is used to treat liver and gallbladder diseases, pain symptoms, and phlegm and fluid. The Qi movement is not smooth, the liver fails to release its energy, the pulse channels are tight and stringy. If the disease occurs, the Qi may be disordered or phlegm and fluid may stagnate in the body, resulting in poor Qi circulation and the appearance of a stringy pulse.

Summary: Through the above article's detailed introduction to the principles of pulse taking, methods of pulse taking, common pulse conditions, and how Chinese medicine practitioners take the pulse, everyone should have a very good understanding of why Chinese medicine practitioners can take the pulse so quickly and accurately. Many of TCM techniques are derived from practical experience, so TCM diagnosis can be both fast and accurate.