여성 질환에 대한 부중침 배속법 기반 맥진의 진단학적 연구

Abstract

Background : Women's diseases, including menstrual disorders, leukorrhea, infertility, pregnancy, miscarriage, childbirth, and postpartum conditions, have been major subjects of pulse diagnosis in traditional Korean medicine. However, traditional pulse theories often incorporated metaphysical frameworks that are less applicable to modern clinical practice. Objective : This study aims to reinterpret the traditional pulse diagnosis methods for women's diseases recorded in Donguibogam and establish a clinically relevant diagnostic model by aligning pulse assessment with modern physiological and pathological understandings. Methods : Pulse diagnosis cases related to gynecological conditions in Donguibogam were systematically analyzed. The conventional Chon-Gwan-Cheok (寸關尺) pulse position assignment was critically reviewed and compared with the Superficial-Middle-Deep (浮中沈) model. Special focus was placed on correlating pathological pulse patterns with contemporary clinical concepts of reproductive health. Results : The deep pulse region corresponding to the kidney (沈中沈) was identified as critical for assessing the reproductive system's health, with fine and smooth pulses indicating physiological states. Abnormalities such as rough, tight, or scattered pulses correlated with menstrual irregularities, leukorrhea, infertility, and complicated pregnancies. It was also demonstrated that gender-specific pulse differentiation theories (e.g., left-male/right-female) are metaphysical and not clinically effective. An integrated, multi-regional pulse evaluation approach was suggested for clinical diagnosis. Conclusion : The reinterpretation of traditional pulse diagnosis methods through the Superficial-Middle-Deep distribution provides a more clinically applicable framework for diagnosing women's diseases. This study supports a transition from conventional metaphysical models to evidence-aligned pulse diagnosis practices in traditional Korean medicine.