Introduction to Chinese Medicine Pulse Diagnosis

Overview

• Clara, creator of Chinese medicine and acupuncture content
• Aim: Fun and easy learning for students, practitioners, and TCM enthusiasts
• Welcome from worldwide participants
• Personal anecdotes and context-building about senses and past professions

Setting Up

• Importance of calm environment for pulse taking
• Avoid hand position above heart level
• Resting hand on table or pillow, ensuring patient and practitioner are calm

Pulse Taking Methodology

Position and Finger Placement

• Use three fingers: index, middle, and ring
• Middle finger on styloid process of the radius
• Adapt finger spacing based on patient size
• Rest finger (superficial level), press slightly (middle level), press hard (deep level)

Pulse Positions and Organ Associations

• Meridian and Acupuncture View

  • Left Hand (Blood & Yin): Heart, Liver, Kidney Yin
  • Right Hand (Qi & Yang): Lung, Spleen, Kidney Yang
  • Three positions: Sun (front), Guan (middle), Chi (rear)

• Five Elements Theory

  • Integrates pulse positions with elemental theory
  • Example arrangement on the left hand: Fire (Heart/Small Intestine), Earth (Spleen/Stomach), Metal (Lung/Large Intestine)
  • Example arrangement on the right hand: Water (Kidney), Wood (Liver/Gallbladder), Fire (Heart/Pericardium)

• Herbal/Nutrition View

  • Upper Jiao: Heart, Lung
  • Middle Jiao: Spleen, Stomach, Liver, Gallbladder
  • Lower Jiao: Large Intestine, Small Intestine, Mingmen Fire, Kidneys, Bladder

Pulse Qualities and Diagnosis

Basic Classification

• Heat vs. Cold
  • Rapid Pulse (>75 bpm): Excess Heat (large/forceful) or Yin Deficiency (thin/thready)
  • Slow Pulse (<60 bpm): Excess Cold (tense/tight) or Yang Deficiency (faint, deep, weak)
• External vs. Internal
  • Superficial Pulse: Acute, External Pathogen
  • Deep Pulse: Chronic, Internal Syndrome

Common Pulse Qualities

• Forceful Pulse: Big, vigorous, excess
• Thready Pulse: Thin like a thread, deficiency in body fluid, Yin, or blood
• Slippery Pulse: Feels like rolling beads or a cyst, related to dampness or phlegm
• Wiry Pulse: Guitar string-like, liver qi stagnation
• Tense Pulse: Thick, rope-like, usually indicating cold
• Choppy Pulse: Jagged, not smooth, associated with blood stasis or deficiency

Practical Tips

• Practice on self and others regularly
• Compare pulses on different fingers and positions
• Recognize the effects of recent meals, medications, and other external factors on pulse

Additional Resources

• PDF slides and further explanations available for download
• Clara's website provides extensive TCM resources including treatment protocols, theory, and diagnosis guides

Conclusion

• Review of key points: rapid vs. slow, superficial vs. deep, forceful vs. thready, wiry vs. slippery vs. choppy
• Importance of practice and simplification for mastery
• Encourage continuous learning and engagement in the TCM community

Links and Resources

• Subscribe to Clara’s channel for more videos
• Download class PDF from provided link
• Visit website for more TCM materials