MENTAL MODEL · M2731

Weak Pulse / Ruo Mai

TechnicalHigh supportTraditional Chinese Medicine

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Updated 2026-08-02

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INTRODUCTION

English translation pending.

CORE DEFINITION

The weak pulse is a classical pulse form in traditional Chinese medicine, described as extremely soft and deep, becoming palpable only under heavy pressure. It combines depth with thinness and an absence of force. It is classed among the deficiency pulses and is read as insufficiency of both qi and blood, or of yang qi more broadly. It sits close to the empty pulse but is more distinctly deep and thin. Its interpretation depends on the patient's constitution and on repeated examination over time, since the direction of change matters more than a single reading.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

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- Low pressure flow: Read a weak, deep signal as both reduced drive and reduced medium rather than as one or the other. - Exclude alternatives: Separate a genuinely weak signal from one that only looks weak under poor measurement conditions. - Trend reading: Track the signal over time, since improvement or decline carries more information than a single sample.

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A pulse requires both a pump and a medium. When qi is insufficient the drive falls, and when blood is insufficient the volume falls; together they push the signal deep and rob it of force, which is why the weak pulse is read as a combined deficiency rather than a single-organ problem. Because position and technique also affect how deep a pulse feels, the reading only becomes reliable when technique is controlled and the finding is repeated.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Practice this model in one real situation:

Palpate at light, medium, and heavy pressure to establish that force is genuinely absent. 2. Compare with the empty, taut, and tight pulses to place the finding correctly. 3. Look for supporting signs of qi and blood deficiency. 4. Repeat the examination over time and track whether the pulse strengthens or weakens. 5. Treat the underlying deficiency rather than the pulse reading itself.

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Source support: Explicit

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baike.baidu.comhttps://baike.baidu.com/item/%E4%BA%8C%E5%8D%81%E5%85%AB%E8%84%89/4855781ZH · Explicit
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