Pulse Diagnosis is a very important tool used by all
Oriental Medical Practitioners. It is a very important tool used by Chinese and Tibetan
Health Practitioners as well as Conventional medical doctors. To a skilled practitioner,
taking your pulse is more than counting the beats. The functioning and health of the
entire mind body constitution can be determined from the pulse, including the balance of
the doshas, the health of the various organs, advance warning signs of potential problems
that may crop up later etc. By detecting early symptoms of imbalance and disease reaction
in the body, one can take preventive steps to correct the problem before it manifests into
a major one.
Radial pulse is felt with the first three fingers, the
index, middle and ring fingers. Pulse from both wrists are taken. To get an accurate
pulse, the patient should be as close to his norm as possible. Taking pulse after strong
exertion, after exposure to a severe environment etc. will give wrong indications.
The position of the index finger denotes the Vata dosha.
When vata is strong in the constitution, the index finger will feel the pulse strongly.
The pulse will be irregular and thin moving in waves like the motion of a serpent. This
type of pulse is called a snake pulse.
The middle finger denotes the pulse corresponding to the
Pitta dosha. When the person has a predominant pitta constitution, the pulse under the
middle finger will be stronger. Ayurveda describes this pulse as "active, excited, and
move like jumping of a frog." This pulse is called frog
When the throbbing of the pulse under the ring finger is
most noticeable, it is a sign of Kapha constitution. The pulse feels strong and its
movement resembles the floating of a swan. Hence, this pulse is called swan pulse.