（一）Women’s Pulse 【Special Characteristics】Women have unique physiological activities such as menstruation, pregnancy, and childbirth, along with their related pathologies, which give their pulse diagnosis certain distinct characteristics. 1. Diagnosis of Menstrual Pulse
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) often assesses diseases through observation, listening, inquiry, and palpation, with pulse diagnosis also known as palpation diagnosis. By examining the pulse at the cun (寸), guan (关), and chi (尺) positions, one can understand the patient’s specific physical conditions. Before and after menstruation, the pulse in women is generally abundant in qi and blood, and during palpation, the cun, guan, and chi pulses should feel smooth and flowing. At this time, the left hand’s liver pulse and kidney pulse are stronger than those on the right hand, presenting as a slippery pulse, indicating that menstruation is approaching.
① If the left guan and chi pulses are suddenly large and strong compared to the right hand, with no bitter taste in the mouth, no fever, and no abdominal distension, it indicates that menstruation is imminent. ② If the cun and guan pulses are harmonious but the chi pulse is weak or thin and choppy, it suggests that menstruation may be excessive or unfavorable. ③ For women with amenorrhea, if the chi pulse is weak and thin, it often indicates a deficiency of essence and blood.
2. Diagnosis of Pregnancy Pulse Definition: For married women with normal menstrual cycles who suddenly experience amenorrhea, if the pulse is slippery, rapid, and harmonious, along with cravings for specific foods, it is often a sign of pregnancy. Clinical manifestations: If the chi pulses are stronger than the cun pulses or if the left cun pulse is particularly slippery and rapid, these are signs of pregnancy.
Mechanism: The chi pulse corresponds to the kidneys, and the uterus is associated with the kidneys. After conception, the fetal qi stirs, thus the chi pulses become slippery and rapid, differing from the cun pulses, indicating pregnancy. These two observations can serve as clinical references.
（二）Children’s Pulse
The deep and wiry pulse is commonly seen in abdominal pain, while a wiry and thin pulse often indicates spleen deficiency with cold;
When the evil is strong and the righteous is weak, the pulse is often wiry, with a strong and rapid pulse indicating a heavy evil, while a thin and weak wiry pulse is often seen in cases of righteous deficiency;
A deep and thin pulse that is barely perceptible often indicates internal evil or a situation where the righteous cannot overcome the evil.
A floating, surging, and large pulse, with a heavy press feeling empty, along with a pale tongue and a swollen tongue body, indicates internal accumulation of dampness and toxins, or the presence of epidemic evil.
A slippery, rapid, and thin pulse indicates heat injuring the yin aspect, with internal fire leading to low fever.
A rapid pulse is often due to qi and yin injury leading to internal heat accumulation.
A knotted and intermittent pulse often indicates insufficient heart blood and heart yang deficiency, leading to symptoms such as insomnia, forgetfulness, anxiety, and fatigue.
A pulse that alternates between sparse and rapid, with a strong pulse indicating parasitic accumulation; a weak and thin pulse often indicates depletion of essence and qi.
For infants and young children under three years old, pulse diagnosis is often replaced by observing the index finger’s pulse. 1. One Finger Three Sections Diagnosis Method: The pulse at the cun position in children is short, making it difficult to use three fingers to differentiate the three sections, so the method for diagnosing children’s pulses differs from that for adults. The one-finger method is often used to assess the three sections, referred to as “one finger for three sections”. Operational methods: ① For infants under one year old, the doctor can use the right thumb or index finger to press on the high bone of the palm to feel the pulse, without differentiating the three sections, focusing on the pulse count; ② For children aged 3-5 years, the midline of the high bone is used as the guan, rolling to the front and back sides of the high bone (palm end and elbow end) to find the three sections; ③ For children aged 6-8 years, the thumb can be moved to the front and back sides of the high bone (palm end and elbow end) to assess the cun, guan, and chi sections; ④ For children aged 9-10 years, the pulse can be assessed in sequence, according to the cun, guan, and chi sections; ⑤ For children over 10 years old, the adult pulse diagnosis method can be used. 2. Main Pulse Patterns in Children
Physiology: Children’s organs are delicate, their form and qi are not fully developed, yet they are full of vitality and grow rapidly. Therefore, the normal pulse pattern in children is softer and faster than that of adults, with younger children having a faster pulse. Content: Key points of pathological pulses: Children’s diseases are generally simpler, so their pathological pulses are not as complex as those of adults, mainly differentiating the pulse’s floating, deep, slow, and rapid characteristics to determine the exterior, interior, cold, and heat conditions; using the pulse’s strength or weakness to determine the deficiency or excess conditions.
In summary, during clinical practice, carefully examining children’s pulse patterns and correlating with the four examinations can be beneficial for treatment and prognosis. It is also important to note that children’s clinical diagnosis may be influenced by crying and fussing, and one must distinguish between true and false pulses to avoid misdiagnosis and mistreatment, which could harm the child.
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