Pressing the chest: Pressing the chest is helpful for detecting the pathological changes of the heart, the lung and the precordium.

Bulgy chest with clear noise when tapped is seen in pneumatothorax. Pain of the chest under pressure and with dull noise when tapped is often seen in retention of fluid in the chest and diaphragm or accumulation of phlegmatic heat in the lung.

Precordium, located between the fourth and fifth ribs, below the nipple and slightly medial to the nipple, is the pulsation point of the apex of the heart where all the vessels converge. Pressing the precordium is helpful for detecting whether the thoracic qi is strong or weak, whether the disease is asthenic or sthenic and whether the prognosis is favorable or unfavorable. The pressing of precordium is especially useful when cunkou pulse is difficult to take in critical cases. Normally, the pulsation over the precordium is sensible and beating smoothly, moderately and rhythmically, indicating exuberance of heart qi, accumulation of thoracic qi in the chest and no signs of pathological changes. Weak and indistinct pulsation over the precordium suggests asthenia of the thoracic qi. Powerful pulsation over the precordium vibrating the clothes is hyperactivity of precordial beating, a sign of outburst of the thoracic qi.