1. Fu Mai (Floating Pulse): Located in the superficial layer under the skin, it can be felt with light pressure, and slightly pressing reduces but does not empty the pulse.
Significance: Generally seen in exterior syndromes, also observed in floating yang deficiency.
2. Chen Mai (Deep Pulse): Cannot be detected with light pressure; moderate pressure shows weak pulsation, only with heavy pressure can a distinct pulse be felt between the tendons and bones.
Significance: Commonly seen in interior syndromes; strong indicates interior excess, weak indicates interior deficiency.
3. Chi Mai (Slow Pulse): The frequency of the pulse is less than the normal pulse rate.
Significance: Often seen in cold syndromes; a slow and strong pulse indicates excess cold; a slow and weak pulse indicates deficient cold.
4. Shuo Mai (Rapid Pulse): The pulse rate is faster than normal but slower than a racing pulse.
Significance: Commonly seen in heat syndromes, also observed in interior deficiency.
5. Xu Mai (Weak Pulse): The pulse strength is weak.
Significance: Seen in deficiency syndromes, often due to both qi and blood deficiency.
6. Shi Mai (Strong Pulse): The pulse strength is strong.
Significance: Seen in excess syndromes, also in healthy individuals.
7. Gong Mai (Wide Pulse): The pulse is broad, with superficial pulsation and strong pressure under the fingers.
Significance: Commonly seen in Yangming heat syndrome.
8. Xi Mai (Thin Pulse): The pulse is narrow, felt like a thread under the fingers, but does not disappear upon pressure, with clear rise and fall.
9. Hua Mai (Slippery Pulse): The pulse is smooth and round, flowing like a bead rolling from the wrist to the finger.
Significance: Often seen in phlegm-dampness, food stagnation, and excess heat syndromes.
10. Se Mai (Choppy Pulse): The pulse is relatively thin, with uneven strength.
Significance: Commonly seen in qi stagnation, blood stasis, and deficiency of essence and blood.
11. Xian Mai (String-like Pulse): The pulse is straight and long, with a strong force, and feels hard under the fingers, with a distinct rise and fall.
Significance: Commonly seen in liver and gallbladder diseases, pain, phlegm, or in cases of weakened stomach qi.
12. Jin Mai (Tight Pulse): The pulse is tense and strong, resisting pressure, with a more tense and powerful sensation than the string-like pulse, and may feel like it is twisting or bouncing under the fingers, but the pulse body is softer than the string-like pulse.
Significance: Often seen in excess cold syndromes, pain, and food stagnation.
13. Ru Mai (Soft Pulse): In the superficial layer, the pulse is thin and soft, like fluff floating on water, easily felt with light pressure but not apparent with heavy pressure.
Significance: Commonly seen in deficiency syndromes or dampness obstruction.
14. Wei Mai (Minute Pulse): The pulse is extremely thin and weak, not felt with light pressure, and the rise and fall are not distinct, seeming almost imperceptible.
Significance: Often seen in severe qi and blood deficiency, and weakened yang qi.
15. Jie Mai (Knotted Pulse): The pulse comes slowly, with an irregular rhythm and periods of pause.
Significance: Commonly seen in excess yin with qi stagnation, cold phlegm blood stasis, and may also be seen in qi and blood deficiency.
16. Cu Mai (Interrupted Pulse): Irregular pauses with longer intervals, and the pulse is weak.
Significance: Commonly seen in excess yang with heat, qi and blood stagnation, and may also indicate organ failure.
17. Dai Mai (Regularly Intermittent Pulse): Regular pauses with longer intervals, and the pulse is weak.
Significance: Commonly seen in organ qi deficiency, pain, fright, and injuries.
18. San Mai (Dispersed Pulse): Floating and scattered, feels almost absent in the middle, and does not respond when pressed deeply, often accompanied by irregular pulsation.
Significance: Commonly seen in dispersed vital qi, organ essence deficiency, especially in critical conditions of heart and kidney qi.
19. Ge Mai (Leather-like Pulse): There is a pulsation sensation, but with heavy pressure, it feels weak, giving a sense of being hollow, similar to pressing on a drum skin.
Significance: Commonly seen in blood loss, loss of essence, postpartum issues, and leakage.
20. Fu Mai (Hidden Pulse): The pulse is deeper than the deep pulse, lying beneath the tendons and attached to the bones.
Significance: Commonly seen in closed conditions, extreme pain, and critical patients.
21. Lao Mai (Firm Pulse): The pulse is deep and long, with a strong and string-like quality.
Significance: Commonly seen in excess cold conditions with qi stagnation.
22. Ji Mai (Rapid Pulse): The pulse rate is faster than the rapid pulse.
Significance: Commonly seen in extreme yang with depleted yin, indicating a risk of loss of vital qi.
23. Chang Mai (Long Pulse): The pulsation range is longer, exceeding the three positions of cun, guan, and chi.
Significance: Commonly seen in yang syndromes, heat syndromes, and excess syndromes, also observed in healthy individuals.
24. Duan Mai (Short Pulse): The pulsation range is short, and the pulse body is not as long as a normal pulse, often felt more distinctly at the guan position, while the chi position may not be palpable.
Significance: Commonly seen in qi deficiency or qi stagnation.
25. Dong Mai (Moving Pulse): The pulsation is clearly felt at the guan position, with a sensation like a bean shaking.
Significance: Commonly seen in fright, pain, etc.
