My experience of diagnostic methods

kgar

I've been interested in pulse diagosis since I first heard of it. But I have heard, and now know from experience, that it takes a loooong time before one develops the required sensitivity to use it successfully. I understand what Sophia is talking about!

I suppose the best way of learning how to do pulse diagosis is just trying it, even if you're not sure what you're feeling. And if one is in a clinical environment, exposed to many different illnesses, and therefore exposed to many different pulses, one can eventually learn how to tell one from another.

But I just had an idea. What if a device were made that can mimic the different types of pulses. Basically building an artificial wrist with flexible fluid-filled tubing inside, a pump, and a controlling device or software that controlls how much fluid goes where, how strong, and in what frequency.

Take this device to someone versed in pulse diagnosis and calibrate it. That way one could select what type of pulse he/she wants to memorize, and feel it right away.

Instead of saying [i:80b282f03a]"I wish I had a patient with Liver Qi stagnation so I could experience a deep, tense pulse"[/i:80b282f03a], one could simply say [i:80b282f03a]"hey, I want to memorize a deep, tense pulse, right now"[/i:80b282f03a].

Maybe there is such a thing already. If not, it looks like your husband has some work to do, Sophia

I just remembered, there is a doctor that I know who bought a device (not sure if in China or in Japan) that apparently takes a person's pulse and prints it out on paper. So you have a graphical representation of a person's pulse and health, without having to take the pulse yourself.

But now that I read Sophia's post, I wonder if it is Ryodoraku machine that this doctor has. In which case, it's not the pulse that it takes of course, but the electroconductivity of yuan points, as Sophia stated.

In any case, I'll be in China soon, and was wondering if ryodoraku machines or pulse diagnosis machines (if they exist) can be easily aquired there? (Easier than aquiring them in Mexico, I'm sure)

There's another type of inspection which I honestly haven't had the chance to work with very much, but which is supposedly meant to be used instead of pulse diagosis in children under 3 years old. I wonder if it can (or why it can't) be used with adults?

I know it as [i:80b282f03a]vascular observation[/i:80b282f03a], and it is done by examining the child's index finger's vascular network.

I'll briefly describe it for those who may not be familiar with it.

It is considered that a branch of the Lung channel, on which the radial pulse is also found, passes through the palmar face of the index finger.
So one is to squeeze the finger from base to tip, and do the diagnosis based on the depth and coloration of the vascularity in each of the three sections of the finger.

I'm sure this method can be used at least in some adults, if they have thin enough skin, can't it?

[quote:80b282f03a="David King"]So if you say you are around the smart people Serpent, maybe you are the smartest, right? [/quote:80b282f03a]

That's right, I'm the smartest of all!
No, seriously speaking, it's really great to be around people who are willing to share their knowledge with us less knowledgeable folk.

kgar

Dear Serpent,
Before I started to work with Riodoraku method, I’m also interested in pulse diagnosis device. I found some articles in which such attempts were made. But difficulties were not in technique of pulse registration, but in results deciphering. It was a reason, why in Japan started look for other ways for Meridians state registration.

kgar

Dear Sophia,

Dear Sophia,
Sorry it’s a bit too late to paste my opinions about your precious diagnostic experience herein.
However, I post it to the Forum of course B on the name of Lady Sophia.
Indeed you have done a great job in your practice of traditional Chinese medicine, and your experience of diagnosing diseases is of great value as I used to tell Serpent.
In fact, even in China, some TCM physicians would rely on the modern diagnostic techniques too much and don’t pay enough attention of the traditional ways and measurers, that’s BAD!!!
For sure as the time goes on, there have been a lot of changes in the TCM diagnostics, e.g. the simplification of the pulse taking. It is well known that in ancient time, (Han Dynasty, around 200 BC to 1800 AD), the pulse was taken in three regions of the body, not only that of the wrist. It was required to take the pulse for much long time for each patient in ancient time but nowadays it’s only a matter of couple of minutes. That’s because in clinic physicians have to work very hard to fulfill the demands of patients for there are too many patients here in the hospitals in China. So if you come one day here, you will know how many patients each doctor would have.
To observe a patient, at the moment, I (and majority of the TCM physicians, I think) would observe mainly their complexion and vitality on their face, so I can judge the deficiency or excess, and the vital conditions. To see the vitality, for sure the eyes are also important, which could also disclose the kidney condition apart from the complexion.
The complexion and the lips would help judge the function of the heart, I think the text has enough descriptions on this point.
Personally I did pay a great attention on the tongue, for sure to see both the body and coating.
...to be continued

kgar

Dear Sophia,

Dear Sophia,
Sorry it’s a bit too late to paste my opinions about your precious diagnostic experience herein.
However, I post it to the Forum of course B on the name of Lady Sophia.
Indeed you have done a great job in your practice of traditional Chinese medicine, and your experience of diagnosing diseases is of great value as I used to tell Serpent.
In fact, even in China, some TCM physicians would rely on the modern diagnostic techniques too much and don’t pay enough attention of the traditional ways and measurers, that’s BAD!!!
For sure as the time goes on, there have been a lot of changes in the TCM diagnostics, e.g. the simplification of the pulse taking. It is well known that in ancient time, (Han Dynasty, around 200 BC to 1800 AD), the pulse was taken in three regions of the body, not only that of the wrist. It was required to take the pulse for much long time for each patient in ancient time but nowadays it’s only a matter of couple of minutes. That’s because in clinic physicians have to work very hard to fulfill the demands of patients for there are too many patients here in the hospitals in China. So if you come one day here, you will know how many patients each doctor would have.
To observe a patient, at the moment, I (and majority of the TCM physicians, I think) would observe mainly their complexion and vitality on their face, so I can judge the deficiency or excess, and the vital conditions. To see the vitality, for sure the eyes are also important, which could also disclose the kidney condition apart from the complexion.
The complexion and the lips would help judge the function of the heart, I think the text has enough descriptions on this point.
Personally I did pay a great attention on the tongue, for sure to see both the body and coating.
...to be continued

kgar

(...continuing)
Besides I would also watch the ears a bit when I have a chance, but I would do it according to my own experience, not really the ear acupuncture theory.
Certainly the body is very helpful, so by the first impression you may have something basic.
What I’m going to stress is the pulse diagnosis! Many people of TCM would complain that it’s TOO DIFFICULT to learn the pulse diagnosis!!! It is true the pulse diagnosis is of great difficulty, but not really as hard as they would think so!!!
Personally I do think it needs some talent but the right method is also helpful.
First of all, you’d better have a good reading about the descriptions on how various types of the pulses should feel like. For sure if you can read in Chinese, it would be much more helpful.
Secondly, you have to understand these descriptions! For instance, when it is said the string-taut pulse is straight and long, and feels like the string of a musical instrument like violin, you have to feel the pulse is not change along the course of the artery, and it is really straight all along the course. And the surging pulse is compared to a tide, with a strong and powerful rising but a slow and subsiding retreating, so you should have the feeling of the up and down.
...to be continued

kgar

(... continuing)
The third is you should have someone (for sure a good teacher) who can tell you or even show what the types of the pulses are feel like.
The fourth and, I think, the most important is the talent and the practice. Only with good talent, you can have a right feeling and know how to distinguish the difference of the pulses; and with the practice, you may have the real feeling, so you can prove what you learned from the book or the teaching.
The fifth is when you take the pulse, you should also pay a lot of attention on the other diagnostic methods which are a bit easier to be understood, so you can check and prove your feeling of your pulse. For instance, you feel the pulse is thready, deep, and weak, and you find that the person’s tongue is pale and smaller, without much coating, the complexion is also a bit pale, the voice is a bit low, and the person looks weaker, so it’s sure you have a right feeling of the pulse.

...to be continued

kgar

[quote:5aac044dee="Sophia"]Dear Serpent,
Before I started to work with Riodoraku method, I’m also interested in pulse diagnosis device. I found some articles in which such attempts were made. But difficulties were not in technique of pulse registration, but in results deciphering. It was a reason, why in Japan started look for other ways for Meridians state registration.[/quote:5aac044dee]

Actually, there are several models of pulse diagnostic devices (non, to my best knowledge, has been evaluated by the FDA or Health Canada).

An example of such a device is a Russian device (accupuncture has been recognised by the official medicine in Russia since 1959) called Pulse Analysis System (PAS), a computer-based system which is capable, according to the manufacturer's statement, of:
- diagnostics of person's health in terms of acupoints / meridians,
- planning the acupuncturist's approach,
- monitoring meridians through computer-based pulse diagnostics.
The PAS requires a computer with at least Pentium II CPU, 64 Mb RAM and serial COM or USB port. Windows 98/ME, 2000, XP.

Analysis tools rovided by PAS include the "Health matrix", the complex estimation of patient health, including a conditions of separate channels and it interaction. (The Health matrix displays the deviations of Qi energies from the "harmony" order in the meridians).

The software used in PAS is free to download, but one would need the Pulse wave sensor, a small device with the cost of 580 Euro (license for 500 pulse registrations, not including shipment). A license for unlimited number of registration has an additional price.

More information in English (including a list of their reperesentatives worldwide) is awailable at http://pulse-academy.com/index.html.

IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO KNOW WHAT THE CHINESE TCM PRACTITIONERS THINK ABOUT THIS KIND OF DIAGNOSTIC DEVICES.

kgar

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