Pulse examination (The nadi pariksha )

The nadi pariksh is a unique ayurvidic  technique for examination of radial artery .it occupies an imporatnt place in the clinical practice of ayurveda as it is not only an integral part but the very first step in the clinical diagnosis. as doshas are combined manifestation of panchmahabhutas  and  sattva(mind),the nadi pariksha is a very important means for accurate assessment of doshas the nadi pariksha is carried out in the morning hours when the patient is empty-stomach.it is prohibited immediately after bath,food,breakfast or mesication because the nadithen becomes erratic and dose not indicate the correct status of doshas similary a patient who is hungry and thirsty is not suitable for nadi pariksha.

it is customary to examine radial pulse at the root of thumb of the right handin case of males and of the left handin case of females .arterial pulsation is representative of the heartbeat, which is the seat of mind and emotions.during nadi pariksh, the patient should be lying flat on the the bed or should be half inclined with the support of a pillow or  backrest.the following stepsare suggested:

1.  stretch the arm properlyand the hand should bekept in slightly flexed position.
2. simultaneously the finger including the thumb  should  be in a streted position.
3. you should exmine the pulse by the  help of your right hand. your three fingers vi. the index, the middle and the ring finger are used as a tool for the nadi pariksha these fingers  are kept  over the radial pulse,the  indexc finger remaining near the thumb of the patient.
4. Apply gentle but uniform pressure thought the tips of these fingers over the radial artery so that its pulsation may be felt. one has to put pressure and release it repeatedly to assess correctly the exact finger on which the pulsation is maximum.
5.  if  the maximum pulsation is felt over the index finger then the is dominated in the pathphysiology of the patient . felling in middle finger indicates the pitta dosha while in ring finger indicates the kaphic pathphysiology in the body of the patient .
    Ayuevedic dosha assessment by nadi pariksha  

normally the nadi is neither very slow nor very fast it is appropriate in volume and tension and thus regular when vata dosha in dominated in the pathphysilogy, the pulsation becomes zigzag fasion like movement of leech or snake. in case of pitta dosha the nadi has jumping waves and its pulsation is felt like a movement of frog. in case of kapha the motion is slow like a movement of swan . when nadi is afficted by two doshas it is intermittently fast and slow when all the three dosha are involved, the pulse becomes irregular. when pathophysiology involves vata and pitta dosha , the nature of arterial pulsation is zigzag and of jumping type. the vata- kapha nadi is zigzag and slow.  the pitta-kapha nadi is zihzag and slow .