Short Pulse (短脉)

Appearance (体象歌)

短脉涩小，首尾俱俯；中间突起，不能满部。

Clinical Indications (主病歌)

短主不及，为气虚证。短居主寸，心神不定；短见右寸，肺虚头痛。短在左关，肝气有伤；短在右关，膈间为殃。左尺短时，少腹必疼；右尺短时，真火不隆。

Clinical Significance

The Short Pulse indicates qi deficiency, qi stagnation, and insufficiency of qi and blood in the organs. Its form is shortened, with both ends dipping down and the middle protruding, not filling the entire pulse position. It forms when qi is too weak to propel blood through the vessels, or when qi stagnation obstructs the vessels so that qi and blood cannot fill the pulse properly. A short pulse without force usually indicates qi deficiency; a short pulse with force usually indicates qi stagnation or phlegm-food obstruction. At the inch position, short pulse indicates heart-lung qi deficiency with palpitations, shortness of breath, fatigue, headache, and insomnia. At the guan position, it points to liver-spleen qi stagnation with rib-side distension, chest oppression, belching, and abdominal fullness. At the chi position, it reflects kidney essence deficiency or lower burner qi stagnation, with lower abdominal pain, weak lower back and knees, impotence, or difficult urination. The Short Pulse often appears together with thin, weak, or choppy pulses in chronic illness, overwork, or emotional constraint. If it appears suddenly without obvious deficiency, consider ascending qi mechanism or phlegm-food blockage. The Short Pulse reminds the clinician to assess both the quality and quantity of available qi, and respiratory and vocal weakness often accompany this pulse, reflecting reduced lung and spleen qi support.

Treatment and Care

For qi deficiency with a Short Pulse, treatment supplements and lifts qi. Heart-lung qi deficiency with palpitations is treated with Sheng Mai San or Gui Pi Tang. Lung qi deficiency with spontaneous sweating and frequent colds is treated with Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang or Yu Ping Feng San. Liver qi stagnation with rib pain is treated with Chai Hu Shu Gan San or Xiao Yao San. Spleen-stomach qi deficiency with abdominal fullness is treated with Si Jun Zi Tang or Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang. Kidney deficiency with weak lower back and knees is treated with Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan or You Gui Wan. For qi stagnation with phlegm obstruction, regulate qi and transform phlegm with Ban Xia Hou Po Tang or Chai Hu Shu Gan San combined with Er Chen Tang. Daily care emphasizes avoiding overwork and emotional depression, maintaining a relaxed mood, eating qi-tonifying foods such as Chinese yam, red dates, astragalus, codonopsis, and chicken, and avoiding raw, cold, greasy, and hard-to-digest foods. Abdominal breathing, ba duan jin, and moxibustion at Dan Zhong, Qi Hai, and Zu San Li help regulate qi and strengthen the spleen. Breathing exercises that emphasize slow diaphragmatic expansion strengthen lung qi and improve overall vitality, and wearing supportive clothing around the waist and abdomen helps maintain core warmth and qi stability.