1. Concurrent Pulse Patterns
The floating pulse (fu mai) is one of the primary pulse types. Based on the floating pulse, various concurrent pulse patterns can be derived by adding relevant factors. The floating pulse is characterized by changes in pulse position and can be combined with multiple elements such as pulse rate, shape, and force, leading to a variety of concurrent floating pulse manifestations. Concurrent with pulse rate: floating rapid (fu shuo), floating slow (fu chi), floating weak (fu huan), floating tight (fu jie), floating hurried (fu ji), etc. Concurrent with pulse shape: floating thin (fu xi), floating surging (fu hong), floating large (fu da), floating short (fu duan), floating long (fu chang), etc. Concurrent with pulse force: floating slippery (fu hua), floating rough (fu se), floating tense (fu jin), floating string-like (fu xian), floating soft (fu ru), floating weak (fu ruo), floating vacuous (fu xu), floating moving (fu dong), floating scattered (fu san), floating strong (fu er you li), floating weak (fu er wu li), etc.
2. Concurrent Pulse Patterns and Their Associated Conditions
(1) Floating Rapid: Wind-Heat, Sores (Floating Rapid without Heat).
[Literature Excerpts]
“Si Zhen Jue Wei”: “The floating pulse indicates exterior conditions; a strong pulse indicates excess, while a weak pulse indicates deficiency. Floating slow indicates wind, floating rapid indicates wind-heat, floating tight indicates wind-cold, floating weak indicates wind-damp, floating slippery indicates wind-disease, and also indicates retained food. Floating vacuous indicates heat injury from summer heat, floating thin indicates blood loss, floating surging indicates vacuous heat, floating scattered indicates extreme fatigue, floating rough indicates blood injury, floating short indicates qi disease, floating string-like indicates phlegm and fluid, floating slippery indicates phlegm-heat, floating rapid without heat indicates sores and abscesses.”
“Zhen Jia Zheng Yan”: “A weak pulse indicates deficiency, while a strong pulse indicates excess. Floating tight indicates wind-cold, floating slow indicates wind-stroke, floating rapid indicates wind-heat; floating weak indicates wind-damp. Floating thin indicates blood loss, floating short indicates qi disease; floating surging indicates vacuous heat, floating vacuous indicates summer heat fatigue; floating rough indicates qi disease, floating soft indicates qi failure.”
“Mai Jing – Bian Que Pulse Method”: “If the pulse is floating and rapid without heat, it indicates wind. If the pulse is floating and rapid with heat, it indicates qi.”
“Shang Han Lun – Differentiating Tai Yang Disease Pulse Patterns and Treatment”: “If the pulse is floating and rapid, the treatment should be sweating to resolve it.”
“Shang Han Lun – Differentiating Pulse Patterns”: “If the pulse is floating and rapid, floating indicates wind, rapid indicates deficiency; if wind and deficiency clash, it leads to sweating and severe cold.”
“Mai Jing – Diagnosing Three Pulse Types for Life and Death”: “If the pulse is floating and rapid, and the body is without heat, the person is likely to develop sores and swellings.”
“Quan Gui Yao Lue – Treating Thirst and Urination Disease Pulse Patterns”: “If the pulse is floating and rapid, it indicates qi, rapid indicates loss of appetite and hardness.”
“Shang Han Lun – Differentiating Yang Ming Disease Pulse Patterns and Treatment”: “If the patient has no exterior or interior symptoms, and has a fever for seven or eight days, even if the pulse is floating and rapid, it can be purged.”
“Quan Gui Yao Lue – Treating Sores and Abdominal Pain Disease Pulse Patterns”: “If all floating rapid pulses should have fever, but instead show severe cold and pain, it indicates the development of abscesses.”
“Mai Jing – Diagnosing Three Pulse Types for Life and Death”: “Floating and rapid indicates long-term wind disease, leading to life; sudden disease leads to death.”
(2) Floating Slow: Wind-Stroke, Wind-Damp, Dampness.
[Literature Excerpts]
“Si Zhen Jue Wei”: “The floating pulse indicates exterior conditions; a strong pulse indicates excess, while a weak pulse indicates deficiency. Floating slow indicates wind, floating rapid indicates wind-heat, floating tight indicates wind-cold, floating weak indicates wind-damp, floating slippery indicates wind-disease, and also indicates retained food.”
“Zhen Jia Zheng Yan”: “A weak pulse indicates deficiency, while a strong pulse indicates excess. Floating tight indicates wind-cold, floating slow indicates wind-stroke, floating rapid indicates wind-heat, floating weak indicates wind-damp.”
“Shang Han Lun – Differentiating Yang Ming Disease Pulse Patterns and Treatment”: “If the pulse is floating and slow, and the hands and feet are warm, it indicates a connection to Tai Yin.”
“Quan Gui Yao Lue – Treating Thirst and Urination Disease Pulse Patterns”: “If the inch pulse is floating and slow, floating indicates deficiency, slow indicates fatigue; deficiency indicates insufficient defensive qi, fatigue indicates depleted nutritive qi.”
(3) Floating Slow: Exterior Cold, Wind-Stroke.
[Literature Excerpts]
“Si Zhen Jue Wei”: “The floating pulse indicates exterior conditions; floating slow indicates wind-stroke, floating rapid indicates wind-heat, floating tight indicates wind-cold, floating weak indicates wind-damp.”
“Zhen Jia Zheng Yan”: “A weak pulse indicates deficiency, while a strong pulse indicates excess. Floating tight indicates wind-cold, floating slow indicates wind-stroke, floating rapid indicates wind-heat, floating weak indicates wind-damp.”
(4) Floating Tight: Qi Deficiency, Qi Stagnation.
[Literature Excerpts]
“Mai Jing – Diagnosing Three Pulse Types for Life and Death”: “If the three pulse types are floating and tight, it indicates long-term disease leading to death.”
(5) Floating Thin: Injury to Qi and Yin.
[Literature Excerpts]
“Shang Han Lun – Differentiating Tai Yang Disease Pulse Patterns and Treatment”: “If the Tai Yang disease has passed for ten days, and the pulse is floating and thin with a desire to sleep, it indicates that the exterior has resolved.”
(6) Floating Surging: Excess Heat, Vacuous Heat.
[Literature Excerpts]
“Quan Gui Yao Lue – Treating Water and Qi Disease Pulse Patterns”: “If the pulse is floating and surging, floating indicates wind, surging indicates qi; if wind and qi clash, wind is strong, leading to rashes, and the body itches, which is a sign of wind, and if prolonged, it leads to chronic sores. If qi is strong, it indicates water, making it difficult to bend and stretch. If wind and qi clash, the body swells, and sweating leads to recovery.”
“Shang Han Lun – Differentiating Pulse Patterns”: “If the pulse is floating and surging, the body sweats like oil, and if the patient coughs and does not stop, and cannot take in water, the body becomes numb, and the pulse is floating and surging, it indicates imminent death.”
“Si Zhen Jue Wei”: “Floating vacuous indicates heat injury from summer heat, floating thin indicates blood loss, floating surging indicates vacuous heat, floating scattered indicates extreme fatigue, floating rough indicates blood injury, floating short indicates qi disease, floating string-like indicates phlegm and fluid, floating slippery indicates phlegm-heat, floating rapid without heat indicates sores and abscesses.”
“Zhen Jia Zheng Yan”: “A weak pulse indicates deficiency, while a strong pulse indicates excess. Floating tight indicates wind-cold, floating slow indicates wind-stroke, floating rapid indicates wind-heat, floating weak indicates wind-damp.”
(7) Floating Moving: Women’s Abortion.
[Literature Excerpts]
“Mai Jing – Diagnosing Three Pulse Types for Life and Death”: “If the Shao Yin pulse is floating and moving, floating indicates deficiency, moving indicates pain; in women, it indicates abortion.”
(8) Floating Large: Wind Disease.
[Literature Excerpts]
“Mai Jing – Diagnosing Miscellaneous Pulse Types”: “If the pulse is floating and large, it indicates wind disease, with heaviness in the head and cold in the nose.”
“Shang Han Lun – Differentiating Treatable Disease Pulse Patterns and Treatment”: “If the pulse is floating and large, and the abdomen is hard with heat in the viscera, it should not be purged.”
“Shang Han Lun – Differentiating Tai Yang Disease Pulse Patterns and Treatment”: “If the pulse is floating and large, and the abdomen is full, it indicates a serious condition. If the pulse is floating and large, it indicates a serious condition. If the pulse is floating and large, it indicates a serious condition.”
(9) Floating Short: Qi Disease.
[Literature Excerpts]
“Mai Jing – Diagnosing Miscellaneous Pulse Types”: “If the pulse is floating and short, it indicates lung injury, and if the qi is very weak, it indicates death within a year; the treatment should be cough.”
(10) Floating Slippery: Wind-Phlegm, Phlegm-Heat, Retained Food.
[Literature Excerpts]
“Si Zhen Jue Wei”: “The floating pulse indicates exterior conditions; a strong pulse indicates excess, while a weak pulse indicates deficiency. Floating slow indicates wind, floating rapid indicates wind-heat, floating tight indicates wind-cold, floating weak indicates wind-damp, floating slippery indicates wind-disease, and also indicates retained food.”
“Mai Jing – Diagnosing Three Pulse Types for Life and Death”: “If the pulse is floating and slippery, it indicates long-term disease leading to death.”
“Mai Jing – Diagnosing Miscellaneous Pulse Types”: “If the pulse is floating and slippery, it indicates retained food; if the pulse is floating and slippery and rapid, it indicates undigested food and spleen dysfunction.”
“Quan Gui Yao Lue – Treating Wind Disease Pulse Patterns”: “If the pulse is floating and slippery, it indicates retained food; if the pulse is floating and slippery and rapid, it indicates undigested food and spleen dysfunction.”
“Shang Han Lun – Differentiating Tai Yang Disease Pulse Patterns and Treatment”: “If the pulse is floating and slippery, it indicates exterior heat and interior cold.”
(11) Floating Rough: Blood Deficiency, Blood Injury, Qi Disease.
[Literature Excerpts]
“Su Wen – Discussion on the Nature of Qi and Blood”: “If the pulse is floating and rough, and the body has heat, it indicates death.”
“Quan Gui Yao Lue – Treating Vomiting and Diarrhea Disease Pulse Patterns”: “If the pulse is floating and rough, it indicates deficiency, and if the pulse is floating and rough, it indicates injury to the spleen, leading to morning vomiting and evening vomiting, with undigested food, known as stomach reflux.”
“Si Zhen Jue Wei”: “Floating vacuous indicates heat injury from summer heat, floating thin indicates blood loss, floating surging indicates vacuous heat, floating scattered indicates extreme fatigue, floating rough indicates blood injury, floating short indicates qi disease, floating string-like indicates phlegm and fluid, floating slippery indicates phlegm-heat, floating rapid without heat indicates sores and abscesses.”
“Zhen Jia Zheng Yan”: “A weak pulse indicates deficiency, while a strong pulse indicates excess. Floating tight indicates wind-cold, floating slow indicates wind-stroke, floating rapid indicates wind-heat, floating weak indicates wind-damp.”
(12) Floating Tight: Cold Injury, Wind-Cold.
[Literature Excerpts]
“Si Zhen Jue Wei”: “The floating pulse indicates exterior conditions; a strong pulse indicates excess, while a weak pulse indicates deficiency. Floating slow indicates wind, floating rapid indicates wind-heat, floating tight indicates wind-cold, floating weak indicates wind-damp.”
“Zhen Jia Zheng Yan”: “A weak pulse indicates deficiency, while a strong pulse indicates excess. Floating tight indicates wind-cold, floating slow indicates wind-stroke, floating rapid indicates wind-heat, floating weak indicates wind-damp.”
(13) Floating String-like: Phlegm and Fluid.
[Literature Excerpts]
“Si Zhen Jue Wei”: “The floating pulse indicates exterior conditions; a strong pulse indicates excess, while a weak pulse indicates deficiency. Floating slow indicates wind, floating rapid indicates wind-heat, floating tight indicates wind-cold, floating weak indicates wind-damp, floating slippery indicates wind-disease, and also indicates retained food.”
“Zhen Jia Zheng Yan”: “A weak pulse indicates deficiency, while a strong pulse indicates excess. Floating tight indicates wind-cold, floating slow indicates wind-stroke, floating rapid indicates wind-heat, floating weak indicates wind-damp.”
(14) Floating Scattered: Extreme Fatigue.
[Literature Excerpts]
“Si Zhen Jue Wei”: “The floating pulse indicates exterior conditions; a strong pulse indicates excess, while a weak pulse indicates deficiency. Floating slow indicates wind, floating rapid indicates wind-heat, floating tight indicates wind-cold, floating weak indicates wind-damp, floating slippery indicates wind-disease, and also indicates retained food.”
“Su Wen – Discussion on the Nature of Qi and Blood”: “If the pulse is floating and scattered, it indicates a collapse.”
(15) Floating Vacuous: Blood Loss.
[Literature Excerpts]
“Zhen Jia Zheng Yan”: “A weak pulse indicates deficiency, while a strong pulse indicates excess. Floating tight indicates wind-cold, floating slow indicates wind-stroke, floating rapid indicates wind-heat, floating weak indicates wind-damp. Floating vacuous indicates blood loss, floating short indicates qi disease; floating surging indicates vacuous heat, floating vacuous indicates summer heat fatigue; floating rough indicates qi disease, floating soft indicates qi failure.”
(16) Floating Soft: Qi Failure.
[Literature Excerpts]
“Zhen Jia Zheng Yan”: “A weak pulse indicates deficiency, while a strong pulse indicates excess. Floating tight indicates wind-cold, floating slow indicates wind-stroke, floating rapid indicates wind-heat, floating weak indicates wind-damp. Floating soft indicates qi failure.”
(17) Floating Weak: Tai Yang Wind Evil Not Resolved, Wind and Blood Clash.
[Literature Excerpts]
“Shang Han Lun – Differentiating Tai Yang Disease Pulse Patterns and Treatment”: “If the Tai Yang disease has not resolved, and the pulse is floating and weak, it should be resolved with sweating.”
“Mai Jing – Differentiating Disasters and Horrors in Pulse Patterns”: “If the pulse is floating and weak, the face may appear pale and red.”
“Quan Gui Yao Lue – Treating Wind Disease Pulse Patterns”: “If the Shao Yin pulse is floating and weak, it indicates blood deficiency; if the pulse is floating and weak, it indicates wind and blood clash, leading to pain like pulling.”
(18) Floating Vacuous: Heat Injury from Summer Heat, Summer Fatigue.
[Literature Excerpts]
“Si Zhen Jue Wei”: “The floating pulse indicates exterior conditions; a strong pulse indicates excess, while a weak pulse indicates deficiency. Floating slow indicates wind, floating rapid indicates wind-heat, floating tight indicates wind-cold, floating weak indicates wind-damp, floating slippery indicates wind-disease, and also indicates retained food.”
“Zhen Jia Zheng Yan”: “A weak pulse indicates deficiency, while a strong pulse indicates excess. Floating tight indicates wind-cold, floating slow indicates wind-stroke, floating rapid indicates wind-heat, floating weak indicates wind-damp. Floating vacuous indicates blood loss, floating short indicates qi disease; floating surging indicates vacuous heat, floating vacuous indicates summer heat fatigue; floating rough indicates qi disease, floating soft indicates qi failure.”
(19) Floating with Strength: Exterior Excess; Cold Injury; Heat in the Heart; Yang Excess Leads to Fire, or Phlegm in the Middle, or Qi Stagnation Above.
[Literature Excerpts]
“Si Zhen Jue Wei”: “The floating pulse indicates exterior conditions; a strong pulse indicates excess, while a weak pulse indicates deficiency. Floating slow indicates wind, floating rapid indicates wind-heat, floating tight indicates wind-cold, floating weak indicates wind-damp, floating slippery indicates wind-disease, and also indicates retained food.”
“Zhen Jia Zheng Yan”: “A weak pulse indicates deficiency, while a strong pulse indicates excess. Floating tight indicates wind-cold, floating slow indicates wind-stroke, floating rapid indicates wind-heat, floating weak indicates wind-damp. Floating with strength indicates exterior excess; cold injury; heat in the heart; yang excess leads to fire, or phlegm in the middle, or qi stagnation above.”
(20) Floating without Strength: Exterior Deficiency; Wind Injury; Insufficient Yin Leads to Water Deficiency, Blood Not Nourishing the Heart, Qi Not Transforming.
[Literature Excerpts]
“Si Zhen Jue Wei”: “The floating pulse indicates exterior conditions; a strong pulse indicates excess, while a weak pulse indicates deficiency. Floating slow indicates wind, floating rapid indicates wind-heat, floating tight indicates wind-cold, floating weak indicates wind-damp.”
“Zhen Jia Zheng Yan”: “A weak pulse indicates deficiency, while a strong pulse indicates excess. Floating tight indicates wind-cold, floating slow indicates wind-stroke, floating rapid indicates wind-heat, floating weak indicates wind-damp. Floating without strength indicates exterior deficiency; wind injury; insufficient yin leads to water deficiency, blood not nourishing the heart, qi not transforming.”
(21) Floating Surging Large: Cold Injury, Wind Dizziness, Epilepsy.
[Literature Excerpts]
“Mai Jing – Diagnosing Miscellaneous Pulse Types”: “If the pulse is floating and surging large, it indicates cold injury. In autumn, it is auspicious; in spring, it leads to disease; if the pulse is floating and surging large, it indicates wind dizziness and epilepsy.”
(22) Floating Weak and Rough: Clear and Cold Qi.
[Literature Excerpts]
“Quan Gui Yao Lue – Treating Blood Stasis and Deficiency Disease Pulse Patterns”: “If the male pulse is floating and weak and rough, it indicates infertility, with clear and cold qi.”
(23) Floating Thin and Slippery: Injury from Fluid.
[Literature Excerpts]
“Quan Gui Yao Lue – Treating Phlegm and Fluid Disease Pulse Patterns”: “If the pulse is floating and thin and slippery, it indicates injury from fluid.”
(24) Floating Tight and Slippery: Exterior Heat and Interior Cold.
[Literature Excerpts]
“Mai Jing – Diagnosing Miscellaneous Pulse Types”: “If the pulse is floating, tight, and slippery, it indicates exterior heat and interior cold, leading to difficulty in urination and defecation.”
(25) Floating Slippery Rapid Tight: Evil Qi Not Resolved.
[Literature Excerpts]
“Mai Jing – Diagnosing Miscellaneous Pulse Types”: “If the pulse is floating, slippery, and rapid, it indicates that the evil qi has not been resolved.”
(26) Floating Surging Rapid: Evil Qi Strong and Rapid.
[Literature Excerpts]
“Shang Han Lun – Differentiating Pulse Patterns”: “If the pulse is floating, surging, and rapid, with fever and sweating, it indicates that it is not treatable.”
(27) Floating Surging Large: Wind Dizziness and Epilepsy.
[Literature Excerpts]
“Mai Jing – Diagnosing Miscellaneous Pulse Types”: “If the pulse is floating, surging, and large, it indicates wind dizziness and epilepsy.”
(28) Floating Large String-like Hard: Blockage of the Passages.
[Literature Excerpts]
“Jing Yue Quan Shu”: “If the pulse is floating, large, string-like, and hard, it indicates blockage of the passages. This is not a sign of vitality, but rather a sign of extreme yin deficiency and a lack of yang, indicating a serious omen.”
3 Divided Pulse Patterns and Their Associated Conditions
(1). Inch Pulse: The left inch pulse floating indicates wind-cold and common cold, often presenting with headache, dizziness, chills, and fever as exterior symptoms. The right inch pulse floating often indicates wind-cold attacking the lungs, leading to cough, expectoration of clear thin phlegm, runny nose, headache, and chills as wind-cold exterior symptoms.
[Literature Excerpts]
“Mai Jing – Diagnosing Three Pulse Types for Life and Death”: “If the inch pulse is floating, it indicates wind and headache; if there is wind-phlegm in the chest, it indicates blockage.”
“Shang Han Lun – Differentiating Tai Yang Disease Pulse Patterns and Treatment”: “If the patient presents with symptoms similar to Gui Zhi’s condition, without headache or stiffness in the neck, and the inch pulse is slightly floating, with pain and hardness in the chest, and qi rising to the throat, it indicates cold in the chest.”
“Su Wen – Discussion on the Nature of Qi and Blood”: “If the inch pulse is floating and strong, it indicates that the disease is external.”
“Zhen Jia Zheng Yan”: “The floating pulse indicates exterior conditions; the left inch floating indicates wind, headache, and nasal congestion; the left guan indicates wind in the middle jiao; the right guan indicates wind-phlegm in the lungs; the right chi indicates wind in the lower jiao, leading to difficulty in urination and constipation.”
“Mai Jing – Diagnosing Three Pulse Types for Life and Death”: “If the inch pulse is floating, it indicates wind-cold and headache; if the guan pulse is floating, it indicates abdominal fullness and lack of appetite; if the chi pulse is floating, it indicates lower jiao wind, leading to difficulty in urination and constipation.”
“Mai Jing – Diagnosing Miscellaneous Pulse Types”: “The floating pulse indicates exterior conditions; if the pulse is floating, it indicates cough, shortness of breath, cold sweat, fatigue, and restlessness at night. The pulse indicates cold accumulation in the viscera and heat in the exterior.”
“Mai Jing – Diagnosing Miscellaneous Pulse Types”: “The floating pulse indicates exterior conditions; the left inch indicates wind-cold, headache, and nasal congestion; the left guan indicates wind in the middle jiao; the right guan indicates wind-phlegm in the lungs; the right chi indicates wind in the lower jiao, leading to difficulty in urination and constipation.”
(2). Guan Pulse: The left guan pulse floating often indicates excess fire in the liver channel, with the spleen being affected, or concurrent with string-like and rapid pulses, leading to symptoms of spleen deficiency and abdominal distension. The right guan pulse floating indicates spleen and stomach weakness, leading to symptoms of poor appetite, abdominal distension, and loose stools.
[Literature Excerpts]
“Mai Jing – Diagnosing Three Pulse Types for Life and Death”: “The floating pulse indicates exterior conditions; the left guan pulse floating indicates excess fire in the liver channel, with the spleen being affected, or concurrent with string-like and rapid pulses, leading to symptoms of spleen deficiency and abdominal distension. The right guan pulse floating indicates spleen and stomach weakness, leading to symptoms of poor appetite, abdominal distension, and loose stools.”
“Zhen Jia Zheng Yan”: “The floating pulse indicates exterior conditions; the left inch floating indicates wind, headache, and nasal congestion; the left guan indicates wind in the middle jiao; the right guan indicates wind-phlegm in the lungs; the right chi indicates wind in the lower jiao, leading to difficulty in urination and constipation.”
(3). Chi Pulse: The left chi pulse floating indicates heat in the lower jiao bladder, clinically presenting with difficulty in urination or painful urination. The right chi pulse floating indicates lower jiao wind-heat, leading to constipation and difficulty in defecation.
[Literature Excerpts]
“Mai Jing – Diagnosing Three Pulse Types for Life and Death”: “The floating pulse indicates exterior conditions; the left chi pulse floating indicates heat in the lower jiao bladder, clinically presenting with difficulty in urination or painful urination. The right chi pulse floating indicates lower jiao wind-heat, leading to constipation and difficulty in defecation.”
“Zhen Jia Zheng Yan”: “The floating pulse indicates exterior conditions; the left inch floating indicates wind, headache, and nasal congestion; the left guan indicates wind in the middle jiao; the right guan indicates wind-phlegm in the lungs; the right chi indicates wind in the lower jiao, leading to difficulty in urination and constipation.”
