You Know What Happens When You Assume?...

The last post talked about the pulse, and addressed the importance of first determining what the base pulse characteristics are for the individual client at the time of treatment. This is incredibly important. The general principle can be applied to many different areas of palpation and treatment. Each client will have a unique set of pulse characteristics at different times of the day, so it is important to take some time to assess the overall pulse before looking for anything else. Palpation is all about finding what is different from the harmonious whole. If you do not take the time to register what the harmonious whole is right now, you will not be able to see what is different.

We are all guilty of this omission in treatment, as we rush forward with the best of intentions to help our clients. In doing so, we invariably look for pulse qualities or other palpatory findings that are different from what a textbook or a teacher told us was “normal.” What I have found in my own practice is that when I take the time to really identify what is the general state of my client and what stands out as glaringly other, I get better results than when I make assumptions about what should be “normal.” Should is a word that has gotten me into all kinds of trouble over the years, because each client is so unique that there are few universal shoulds that apply to everyone.