The Rapid Irregular, Hasty, Abrupt, Skipping Pulse (Cu Mai)
Rapid Irregular Pulse (?? Cu Mai, hasty, abrupt, skipping)
Key points: rapid with irregular pauses
Indications: (Forceful) excess heat (causing stagnation), or stagnation (generating heat.)
(Forceless) deficiency of both yin and yang: yin deficiency generates the rapid pulse while it is the yang deficiency that gives rise to the irregular aspect of this pulse.
Explanation: heat causes the pulse to move rapidly, however pathogenic factors (including heat) can also obstruct the flow of qi and blood in the vessels. We (CM students and practitioners) don’t usually think of heat as something substantial enough to impair blood movement. Well, think again! Remember that Si Ni San (Frigid Extremities Powder) is for cold hands and feet due to internal heat impairing the movement of yang qi (though using it for cold hands and feet due to qi stagnation is perfectly acceptable).
Again, the strength of the pulse will tell us real quick if the patient has this pulse due to excessive causes or deficient causes. In the case of the forceless rapid irregular pulse, a deficiency of yin will cause the rapid rate, while the deficiency of yang causes the pulse’s irregularity.
The Rapid Irregular Pulse
Comparison of Rapid, Slow, and Consistently Irregular Pulses
Next: its the… slow irregular… pulse.
Last modified: August 3, 2009 
Tags: Diagnosis, Palpation · Posted in: Pulse Class, Pulse-Palpation
