PULSE DIAGNOSIS

Reading the pulses (yes, plural!) in Chinese Medicine is a very important part of our diagnosis. A practitioner can tell a lot about you internally, even before you report your symptoms. A lot of patients are mystified by this diagnostic skill. It’s just one of the many different ways that acupuncture differs from conventional medicine. Since a lot of my patients often inquire about what I’m doing when I read their pulses, I thought I’d write a brief post about what we are doing and why.

Pulse reading is not something that practitioners can learn overnight- it takes a lot of practice, reading several thousand sets of pulses to learn the technique. There are twelve pulses that a practitioner is looking for, and each pulse represents a different organ or function in the body. This is why we read the pulse on both wrists, not just one. (You have six pulses on the right side and six on the left and they are all different.) By reading your pulses, among other things we look for, we can tell if your eating habits are good, if you have a cold coming on, and if your energy is high or low. We can also take note of how your organs are functioning at that time, and if there is a “disconnect” between organ systems (like a failed circuit)

When an acupuncture practitioner reads your pulses, she is interested in the pulse rate, but, even more, she is also looking for certain “qualities” in the pulse. Some terms you might hear an acupuncturist say are “wiry” if you are stressed out or in pain, “slippery” if you have a lot of phlegm, or even “rapid” if you have a fever. There are 28 different qualities that pulses can have. While anyone can learn to FIND the pulses in about an hour, the complexity of the skill is why it takes a LOT of practice to become proficient.

The qualities of the pulses often lead a practitioner to ask specific questions, which will verify the information on the pulse, and can open up a conversation with the client. So don’t be afraid to ask the practitioner what they are feeling in your pulse. Doing so will often yield a fruitful discussion about self care.