Pulse Diagnosis in Chinese Medicine

Chinese medicine is a medicine that evolved somewhere between 3000 and 5000 years ago (at least that's the best guess, some think it may be even older!). This was all before the time of MRI's, x-rays and blood tests. In order to get an accurate diagnosis, the Chinese medical practitioners of ancient times looked very carefully at the body to gather as many clues as possible.

One of the methods of looking at the body closely evolved into pulse diagnosis. Now, we've all sat at the doctor's office and had them count the number of times our heart beats per minute. They commonly take this reading at wrist on the radial artery. Chinese medicine took this a step further. Not only does an acupuncturist or herbalist count the number of beats per minute, they also can get an overview of what's going on in your body by feeling the quality of your pulse.

Each wrist has three pulse positions. On the right wrist, the energy of the Lung, Large Intestine, Spleen, Stomach and Kidney Yang can be felt. On the left wrist, the energy of the Heart, Small Intestine, Liver, Gall Bladder and Kidney Yin can be felt. Each organ can be assessed by feeling the qualities of the pulse at its position on the wrist.

The qualities or textures of the pulses that can be felt at each position on the wrist are:

• Wiry - This pulse feels like a guitar string is coming up and hitting your finger. You can very easily feel the sides of the artery as the blood passes through it.
• Slippery - This pulse has been described as "feeling a pearl in a bowl." To me, it feels like a bubble is passing through the artery under my finger.
• Soft - This pulse feels a little like the slippery pulse, but has a "mushy" feel to it. It has been described as the feeling of "pressing into a wet cotton ball."
• Weak - This pulse can be difficult to find and is easily lost if you're using too much pressure to feel the pulse.
• Deep - This pulse takes a lot of pressure to feel. The pulse is hidden deeply.
• Thin - This pulse is very narrow and weak. You can easily lose this pulse with too much pressure.
• Thready - This pulse feels kind of like a wiry pulse, but is much thinner and weaker.
• Rapid - This pulse has more beats per minute than an average pulse and often feels hurried.
• Slow - This pulse has fewer beats per minute than an average pulse and often feels sluggish.

Pulse diagnosis, is a valuable way to get a peek into your health or unhealth, and when combined with tongue diagnosis and the gathering of your health history completes the picture of you!

What to Expect on Your First Acupuncture Visit

You've never had acupuncture before and, frankly, the needles are a little intimidating. Do they hurt? Is it safe? What does it feel like? Let's answer some of these questions (and more!) so that there is less to fear!

When you first go to an acupuncturist, you'll discuss your health in great depth. Don't be afraid to share symptoms that seem "weird" or "unimportant;" you'd be surprised how often these symptoms fit into the picture just right and will help your acupuncturist get a more complete and accurate diagnosis for you!

After discussing your health, your acupuncturist will check your tongue. Yes, I said TONGUE! Remember, acupuncture existed LONG before modern scientific tests, so ancient acupuncturists had to rely on the body and it's signs to make a diagnosis. Our tongues reflect the state of our bodies. For example, if someone is having sleep troubles, you will often find that the tip of their tongue is bright red. Try using this as a party trick sometime!

Next is reading your pulse. In Chinese medicine, we have 3 different pulses on each wrist where our Qi is represented. Your acupuncturist will check your pulse for general speed (like at your doctor's office), but they will also check it for quality - what it feels like as it travels through the blood vessel.

And finally, your acupuncturist will start inserting needles. Acupuncture needles are single-use only, which means they will only be used on you, then disposed of properly in a sharps container, just like at your doctor's office! Acupuncture needles are super small - they're only about the thickness of a single human hair. They're solid, unlike hypodermic needles used for vaccines, so there's very little pain when the needle is put in (only a mild pinch!). Once the needle is in place, it shouldn't be painful at all! Some people may feel a sense of heaviness or pressure where the needle is - this is the sensation of the Qi! Some people feel the Qi, some people don't, both are perfectly normal responses.

Acupuncture needles are usually left in place between 15-45 minutes depending on your diagnosis. During this time, many people like to meditate, relax or even fall asleep (my personal favorite is the latter!). Whatever you choose to do during this time, the important thing is to physically and mentally relax so that the medicine can do it's work.

After you have rested with your needles in place, your acupuncturist will remove them. Some people may feel a little tired after an acupuncture treatment, some people may feel energized, some people won't feel any changes at all. All of these are normal responses. Talk with your acupuncturist about how quickly they might expect you to start seeing results. Some people see some changes after just one visit, some people may not see results for up to 8 visits. We're all different, and we're all in different stages of health or unhealth.

Congratulations, you've just finished your first acupuncture experience! Welcome to the beginning of your path to health!