What is the scientific basis of pulse condition? Does it really work?

The unique diagnostic method of traditional Chinese medicine-pulse diagnosis, that is, pulse-taking, commonly known as "pulse-taking". Pulse diagnosis has a long history. Sima Qian recorded the contents of doctors' pulse diagnosis and treatment in Historical Records, and the "pulse diagnosis method" has been included in 1973 bamboo slips and silk books unearthed from Mawangdui Han Tomb in Changsha, Hunan. The first monograph of pulse science in China, Pulse Classic, was produced in Jin Dynasty, and the method and theory of pulse diagnosis are quite complete.

The early pulse-cutting method is more complicated, which requires pulse-cutting in many parts such as head and neck, hands and feet. In the future, it will be gradually simplified to just press the wrist pulse, which is called "Cunkou" diagnosis. Ancient doctors made many articles on this short pulse part. They divided this pulse, which is about one inch long, into three parts: inch, off and foot from the horizontal bar on the wrist.

The Cun, Guan and Chi of the left and right hands belong to different viscera, which can reflect the pathological changes of the corresponding viscera. Among them, the right inch reflects the lung, the right closes the spleen and stomach, and the right foot reflects the kidney (life gate); The left inch reflects the heart, the left customs reflects the liver, and the left ruler reflects the kidney and bladder.

After careful observation, it can be found that the far inch corresponds to the uppermost heart and lung (upper focus, respiratory and circulatory system) of the human body; The middle part corresponds to the liver and spleen and stomach (middle jiao, digestive system); The proximal ulna corresponds to the kidney and bladder (lower jiao, genitourinary system). In this way, the small "inch mouth" became a holographic window of human internal organs.

That's not enough. When cutting the pulse, you should use three different finger forces to press the pulse and gently press it on the skin to "float"; Press moderately hard until the muscles are "in the middle"; Press hard until the bones and muscles "sink". Inch, clearance and ruler have three stages, namely, floating, middle and sinking, which are collectively called "three orders and nine orders". The pulse conditions obtained by different manipulations have different clinical significance. Usually, if the pulse condition floats outside, the disease position will be shallow, and if it sinks inside, the disease position will be deep.

There are still many things to pay attention to when you feel the pulse. First of all, silence is needed, including the silence of the external environment and the silence of both doctors and patients. The patient should rest for a while before pulse-taking, and wait until it is quiet before pulse-taking. Before feeling the pulse, the doctor must meditate, adjust his breathing, completely concentrate on his fingers and press them carefully for more than one minute. When taking the pulse, the patient takes a sitting position or supine position, keeping his arms at the same level as his heart, and stretching his wrists and palms upward.

Secondly, doctors should use three designated positions in time, that is, first designate the middle part, and then adjust the density of three fingers according to the patient's height. If the patient is tall, his fingers should be sparse; Short people should have dense fingers, and children should use one finger (thumb) to pulse, regardless of three parts.

To learn pulse diagnosis, we must first understand the normal pulse condition. Normal pulse is called "flat pulse" and "normal pulse". The pulse rate is about 70-80 times per minute, the rhythm is regular, the pulse type is not thick or thin, not floating or sinking, not stiff or weak. However, normal pulse condition often changes with season, age, sex and physique. Such as spring, summer and autumn, the pulse is floating and strong; The pulse condition in winter is mostly submerged in water. The younger the age, the faster the pulse, the stronger the pulse of young and middle-aged people, and the weaker the pulse of the elderly; How long the high net is, the short net is short, the thin net is floating, and the fat net is heavy; How fast and strong is the pulse after satiety and emotional excitement, and how weak is the pulse when hungry. If you find the opposite pulse, such as winter pulse floating, fat net floating, fine net sinking, etc. , indicating abnormal pulse condition.

The following are some common abnormal pulse conditions.

Floating pulse refers to a kind of shallow pulse that appears at the place where the pulse condition appears. You can get it by pressing it gently, and it will become weaker by pressing it again. In general, it is suggested that the pathogenic factors are in the table. A strong pulse is superficial, while a weak pulse is superficial.

Sinking pulse is a pulse with deep pulse condition, which cannot be taken lightly. You can see it by pressing it again. Usually, the interior syndrome is the main one, and the heavy and powerful one is the interior syndrome, and the heavy and weak one is the interior deficiency syndrome.

Late pulse, slow pulse, less than 60 times per minute. Cold syndrome will slow down blood flow because of cold. The late strong is cold accumulation syndrome, and the late weak is yang deficiency syndrome.

Count the pulse, the pulse comes quickly, more than 90 times per minute, and it comes and goes in a hurry. Multi-dominant heat syndrome, because heat can speed up blood flow, the excess heat syndrome is strong and the weak heat syndrome is weak.

Veins, also called venules, are thin and weak, but they should be obvious. It is the image of dampness syndrome and deficiency syndrome. It is due to dampness blocking meridians or deficiency of qi and blood, which can not fill the pulse.

The flood pulse is broad and powerful, and it comes and goes like a flood. Empirical study on excess heat of most main pathogens.

String pulse, the pulse-shaped end is straight, such as pressing the string. Common in patients with hepatobiliary diseases, phlegm retention syndrome and pain syndrome.

Pulse slippery, pulse flowing (slippery), such as walking beads. It is a syndrome of excess heat, phlegm retention, eating disorder or pregnancy pulse.

The pulse is astringent and difficult, such as scraping bamboo with a light knife. It is the expression of qi stagnation and blood stasis and deficiency of essence and blood.

Deficiency of pulse, weakness in lifting and pressing three pulses, and faint peristalsis under the finger are the general names of all weak pulses. It is a sign of deficiency syndrome, mainly qi deficiency or both qi and blood deficiency.

Real pulse, three powerful pulses, strong pulse, is the floorboard of all powerful pulses. This is an empirical image, which shows that the evil spirit is true and healthy.

Pulse acceleration, pulse knot acceleration and pulse generation are all abnormal rhythms and intermittent pulses. Pulse acceleration refers to rapid pulse number and irregular interval. Strong pulse is the syndrome of hyperactivity of yang heat, while weak pulse is mostly the phenomenon of qi deficiency falling off. The pulse condition is slow and irregular, and the main symptoms are mostly yin deficiency, qi stagnation, cold phlegm and blood stasis. Pulses are generated at slow and regular intervals with long intervals. It is a syndrome of decreased dirty qi or qi stagnation and blood stasis.

There are many pulse conditions, and the above is the most important. In the clinical treatment of traditional Chinese medicine, besides observing, smelling and asking questions, pulse-taking is also very important. Sun Simiao, a famous doctor in the Tang Dynasty, said, "A man with one pulse is a great cause of medicine. How can he be a doctor if he doesn't study hard? " ! "Pulse often plays a decisive role in syndrome differentiation.

For example, an elderly patient with recurrent diarrhea for many years recently had diarrhea 5-6 times a day, watery diarrhea and no purulent blood. He can't eat any food containing crude fiber. He can only eat a small amount of porridge or rotten noodles every day, otherwise diarrhea will be more frequent. Red tongue, thin white fur. Judging from the above symptoms, there seems to be no fever. But the patient's pulse is very fast (every minute 124 times, with a history of coronary heart disease, and often has symptoms such as palpitation and chest tightness). According to syndrome differentiation, the patient has a long course of disease, and his temper is already weak, but he is accompanied by fiery evil. Fire evil forces diarrhea in the large intestine, disturbs the mind and has palpitations. Therefore, Codonopsis pilosula can benefit qi, while Coptis chinensis can clear away heat and purge fire, killing two birds with one stone. After seven doses of treatment, stool decreased to 65,438+0.2 times a day, palpitation symptoms improved and heart rate slowed down.

Of course, the etiology and pathological changes of the disease are very complicated, so the clinical symptoms are often very complicated, and two or more pulse conditions often appear at the same time, such as floating pulse, late pulse, slippery pulse and astringent pulse. There is also the consistency and inconsistency of pulse conditions. If they are inconsistent, it is necessary to decide whether to give up the symptoms or give up the symptoms. In addition, pulse diagnosis is not difficult in theory, but in practice, it is not a day's work to determine what pulse condition it is and explain the relationship between pulse condition and disease. The ancients said: "The pulse is subtle and beyond words. It's hard to understand when you are in your heart. " Without years of repeated practice, careful experience and careful understanding and comparison, it is impossible to really master pulse diagnosis.