Pulse

NameClinical SignificanceFeelingKindAspectBody Psych
Invasion of external Wind Yin deficiency (interior conditions)
This pulse can be felt with a light pressure of the fingers, just resting the fingers on the artery.
Floating Deep Slow Rapid Empty Full
depth rate strength size length shape rhythm
Pathogenic factor in the Interior (Deep-Full) Yang deficiency (Deep-Weak)
This pulse is the opposite to floating: it can only be felt with a heavy pressure of the fingers and is felt near the bone.
Deep
depth rate strength size length shape rhythm
Cold patternEmpty-Cold (Slow and Weak) Full-Cold (Slow and Full)
This pulse has three beats per respiration cycle
Slow
rate
Heat pattern Full-Heat (Rapid and Full) Empty-Heat (Rapid and Floating-Empty)
This pulse has more than five beats per each respiration cycle
Rapid
rate
Qi deficiency
The Empty pulse feels rather big but soft.
Empty
strength
Full pattern Full-Heat (Full-Rapid) Full-Cold (Full-Slow)
This pulse feels full, rather hard and rather long.
Full
strength
Phlegm Dampness Retention of food Pregnancy
A Slippery pulse feels smooth, rounded, slippery to the touch, as if it were oily. It slides under the fingers.
Other
shape
Blood deficiency Exhaustion of Body Fluids
This pulse feels rough under the finger
Other
shape
Heat pattern
This pulse is basically longer than normal
Full
length
Severe Qi deficiency Stomach-Qi deficiency
Occupies a shorter space than the normal position
Empty
length
Full-Heat Empty-Heat (Overflowing-Empty)
This pulse feels big, extending beyond normal pulse position.
Full
size
Blood deficiency Dampness with severe Qi deficiency
This pulse is thinner than normal
Empty
size
Severe deficiency of Qi and Blood
It is extremely thin, small and difficult to feel
Empty
size
Cold Exterior Cold (Tight-Floating) Interior Full-Cold (Tight-Full-Deep) Interior Empty-Cold (Tight-Weak-Deep) Pain
This pulse feels twisted like a thick rope
Full
shape
Liver disharmony Pain Phlegm
This pulse feels taut like a guitar string. The Wiry pulse really hits the fingers.
Other
shape
G
This pulse has four beats for each respiration cycle
Slow
rate
Haemorrhage Forthcoming haemorrhage (Hollow and Rapid)
Empty in the middle, felt superficial and deep.
Floating
shape
Severe deficiency of Kidney-Essence Severe deficiency of Kidney-Yin
This pulse feels hard and tight at the superficial level and stretched like a drum, but it feels completely Empty at the deep level. It is a large pulse, not thin.
Floating
depth
Blood stasis Interior Cold (Firm and Slow) Pain
Wiry pulse at the deep level
Deep
shape
Dampness with Qi deficiency Deficiency of Yin Deficiency of Essence
The Soggy pulse feels very soft and is only slightly floating.
Empty
other
Yang deficiency Blood deficiency
Felt only at the deep level
Empty
strength
Severe deficiency of Qi and Blood Severe deficiency of Kidney-Qi Serious condition
This pulse feels very small and is relatively superficial
Empty
strength
Severe Yang deficiency
This pulse feels as if it were hidden beneath the bone
Deep
depth
Shock anxiety fright pain
The Moving pulse has a round shape like a bean; it is short and it ‘trembles’ under the finger
Rapid
length
Severe Heat Deficiency of Heart-Qi Heart-Fire
This pulse is Rapid and it stops at irregular intervals
Rapid
rhythm
Cold with deficiency of Heart-Yang
This pulse is Slow and it stops at irregular intervals
Slow
rhythm
Serious problem in Internal Organ Heart problem (in Western medical sense)
This pulse stops at regular intervals
Other
rhythm
Fire exhausting Yin
This pulse is very rapid, but it also feels very agitated and urgent
Rapid
rate