Pulse taking has been one of the most important diagnostic tools of traditional Chinese medicine. Its hard to compete with its speed and accuracy to diagnose patterns of illness and distress. It’s felt by applying fingertip pressure to the skin at both radial arteries in three positions (cun, guan and chi.)

The heart is the “emperor organ” in Chinese medicine though all of the other vital organs reflect their health in the pulse too.

The pulse provides an objective summary of a person’s health without the need to ask a bunch of questions.

The right cun position of the pulse provides information about the functioning of the lungs and large intestine. The left cun pulse position provides information about the the heart and small intestine. The right guan provides information about the pancreas, spleen and stomach. The left guan provides information about the the liver and gallbladder. The right and left chi pulses provide information about the urinary bladder, shoulders, neck, kidneys, lower back, knees and hips.

Every symptom, whether physical or emotional, has only a handful of pulse possibilities. Figuring out the pulse is what determines which herbs fix that problem.

By understanding the pulse, you can determine how well each area of the body is functioning which includes the quality of the blood and its circulation.

Chinese medicine is always concerned with understanding why something may be happening in the body. What you can always count on is that there is always an organ involved. Knowing which one(s) are involved and why will be apparent in the pulse. There is no guessing with this diagnostic technique.