Post Date April, 15 2023
There is no term for 'kidney deficiency' or 'kidney failure' in traditional Chinese medicine. The commonly used professional terms in traditional Chinese medicine are 'kidney qi deficiency' or 'kidney yang deficiency', 'kidney yin deficiency', etc. The meaning of 'kidney' in traditional Chinese medicine is not exactly the same as that of modern medicine, which not only refers to the substantive organs of the 'kidney', but also includes a general term for a part of the human body's functions.
In traditional Chinese medicine, it is believed that the 'essence' of the kidney comes from the innate essence of parental reproduction, which is the primitive material for embryonic development; Since childhood, kidney essence is cultivated through the essence in diet, and gradually enriched to make the human body grow continuously; By adolescence, it can also enable the production of sperm or eggs and mature sexual functions and secondary sexual characteristics. Therefore, the 'essence' of the kidney is related to human growth, development, and reproduction.
Secondly, the kidneys possess' essence and energy ', which can generate' marrow ', which is divided into bone marrow and spinal cord. Bone marrow remains in the bone and can nourish it, making it grow and strong. Therefore, symptoms such as delayed closure of the chimneys, delayed development, or weak bones in children are all manifestations of insufficient kidney essence. In clinical practice, many kidney tonifying drugs have been proven to accelerate fracture healing.
The spinal cord, on the other hand, connects to the brain and converges to form the brain. Therefore, in traditional Chinese medicine, there is a saying that 'the brain is the sea of marrow'. Therefore, in clinical practice, the use of kidney tonifying drugs has good therapeutic effects for symptoms such as delayed thinking and memory loss, that is, the kidney governs the bone, generates marrow, and unblocks the brain.
In addition, the kidney also controls fluid, mainly referring to its function of regulating the distribution of bodily fluids and the excretion of waste fluids. So if the yang qi of the kidney is insufficient and there is an obstacle in the regulation of water and fluid, it can cause oliguria and urinary obstruction, leading to edema; Or symptoms such as excessive urination and nocturnal polyuria.
In summary, the so-called 'kidney' in traditional Chinese medicine actually includes some functions of the urinary, reproductive, endocrine, and brain nervous systems in modern medicine. Therefore, what people often call "kidney deficiency", or more correctly, "kidney qi deficiency", should not be limited to sexual function, other things such as osteoporosis, growth retardation, children's lack of intelligence, less menstruation, irregular menstruation, little increase in basal body temperature during ovulation, menopausal disorders, sexual desire loss, infertility, habitual abortion, memory loss, waist and knee weakness, frequent urination, night sweat, dizziness, tinnitus Cold limbs, etc., also belong to the category of 'kidney qi deficiency damage' in traditional Chinese medicine.
How can traditional Chinese medicine treat 'deficiency of kidney qi'? In terms of drug use, it can be roughly divided into four categories:
Products that tonify the essence of the kidney: such as Cordyceps sinensis, Polygonum multiflorum, Ligustrum lucidum, Huangqi, yam, etc. Products that can warm and assist kidney yang: such as deer antler, immortal spleen, dodder seed, psoralen, Morinda officinalis, Cistanche deserticola, aconite, Xianmao, Eucommia ulmoides, Chuanduan, mulberry parasitic, etc.
Products for nourishing yin, tonifying kidney and clearing away deficiency and heat: such as prepared ground, ass hide glue, mulberry fruit, medlar, tortoise shell, turtle shell, anemarrhena asphodeloides, phellodendron amurense, etc. Consume astringent products such as dogwood, Schisandra chinensis, black plum, nutmeg, cuttlebone, ginkgo, gecko, etc. In terms of traditional pills, Liu Wei Di Huang Wan, Gu Shen Wan, Shen Rong Gu Ben Wan, Huan Shao Dan, Gui Lu Er Xian Jiao, etc. are commonly used.
Kidney tonifying not only improves the pathological state of kidney deficiency, but also alleviates certain symptoms of aging and delays the aging process. However, if the public wants to obtain satisfactory therapeutic effects, they must be diagnosed by a professional physician as to what type of kidney deficiency is, and then choose appropriate drugs. Blindly taking them is absolutely not allowed.
