Pulse Diagnosis as a Functional Expression of Autonomic Regulation: Reframing Traditional Palpation as an Individualized Diagnostic Interface

Abstract

Pulse diagnosis has traditionally been regarded as a subjective palpation technique rooted

in East Asian medicine. In contemporary biomedical contexts, however, it is often

interpreted narrowly as an indirect assessment of cardiovascular structure or

hemodynamics. Such interpretations fail to capture the integrative regulatory processes

reflected in clinically perceived pulse qualities.

This paper aims to reconceptualize pulse diagnosis as a functional indicator of autonomic

regulation, positioning it as an individualized diagnostic interface rather than a structural

or organ-specific assessment.

Within the framework of Oriental Medicine Neurodynamics (OMN™), pulse

characteristics are examined as functional phenotypes emerging from the integration of

autonomic nervous system activity, cardiac function, fluid regulation, and central rhythm

coordination. Key palpatory dimensions—including vascular wall tension, rate, volume-

related qualities, pulsation strength, and rhythm—are analyzed as expressions of

coordinated regulatory dynamics.

Pulse diagnosis is shown to reflect real-time, individualized regulatory states that cannot

be adequately captured by isolated physiological parameters or population-based

reference ranges. By evaluating qualitative patterns rather than single variables, pulsediagnosis enables assessment of individual differences in regulatory balance and

compensatory dynamics.

Reframing pulse diagnosis as a functional phenotype of autonomic regulation provides a

conceptual bridge between traditional palpation practices and contemporary systems-

based approaches in integrative medicine. This framework supports individualized

assessment by complementing quantitative measurements with integrated, real-time

evaluation of regulatory dynamics.