Finger pulse reading is a long tradition in Eastern countries and has been used in Western and middle East countries as well since centuries. Pulse reading is usually practices on the radial artery on the wrists of both hands. The technique was and is still used in traditional Chinese, Korean, Indian and Tibetan medicine.
The pulse wave is sensed with the three fingers of both hands of the doctors when applied to the wrists of the person. Pressures are applied on specific points of the artery to diagnose different organs’ function.
The breathing rhythm of the doctor is a guide to the pulse wave assessment as it helps counting the heart beat with this reference. Therefore, the breathing rhythm is somehow synchronized with the pulse rhythmic pattern and we may suspect that this coupling has consequences in the diagnosis. Similarly, modern pulse wave analysis shows interesting coupling between different vital organs and noteworthy the brain, the peripheral nervous system, the arterial tree, the gut, the lungs and the immune system.
Assessing the pulse wave rhythmic patterns gives clinicians and physicians a vast amount of information about the body as well as mental states. Emotions, feelings and cognitive capacities and function influences and are influenced by the body’s response to these psychological states. Therefore, the pulse wave is a lens to the body and mind health.