When the acupuncturist is feeling your pulse on both wrists, they are not counting the number of beats, they are feeling for the speed, fullness, strength, and trying to figure out which pulse you have according to traditional chinese medicine theory.  There are 3 energetic channels that meet up along the radial artery on each wrist. On the right you have the Lung, spleen and kidney yang.  On the left you have the heart, liver, and kidney yin.  With 28 different pulses to choose from, each pulse indicates different areas of the body that are in disorder or disease.