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Introduction
Kidney deficiency is a broad concept that should be further distinguished as Qi deficiency, Yin deficiency, or Yang deficiency for better prevention and treatment.
Kidney Deficiency
Author: Zhang Honghai
Kidney Qi Deficiency
First, let’s discuss Kidney Qi deficiency. Kidney Qi primarily refers to the functional activities of the kidneys. Insufficient functional activity of the kidneys indicates Kidney Qi deficiency, which is a relatively mild condition of kidney deficiency.
What functions of the kidneys are insufficient? Mainly, it is the kidneys’ ability to consolidate and store. The kidneys’ consolidation and storage reflect in the management of urination, semen, vaginal discharge in women, and pregnancy. When it is time to urinate, one should be able to do so, and when it is time to stop, it should be firm and not loose. For instance, in urination, after the bladder is full, one should be able to urinate completely. However, elderly individuals with weak Kidney Qi may feel the urge to urinate but cannot do so comfortably, often feeling that they have finished urinating only to find that they still dribble a bit.
I clearly remember when I was in high school, our school organized a specialized class, and I studied health. I interned at a health clinic in Zhi Fang village, where there was a well-known local TCM doctor, Mr. Cao. Once, I heard Mr. Cao explain a patient’s condition, saying: “Young people have strong Kidney Qi, and they urinate with much more force; elderly people, with weak Kidney Qi, find urination difficult and sometimes feel they have finished urinating, only to find they still have some left. This is why some elderly people always have a urine odor on them.” This is a common manifestation of weak Kidney Qi.
Additionally, it is common to see issues such as premature ejaculation in men and excessive vaginal discharge or miscarriage in women, which are also manifestations of the kidneys’ inability to consolidate.
The lower back is the residence of the kidneys, so a common manifestation of kidney deficiency is lower back pain. This type of back pain is different from that caused by lumbar disc herniation, as CT scans generally show no abnormalities, only soreness and weakness in the lumbar muscles, and sometimes the entire lower limb may also feel sore and weak.
To treat kidney deficiency, besides Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan (Kidney Qi Pill), other herbal treatments are also effective and require differential diagnosis for prescription. Moreover, for young people, moderation in sexual activity is crucial; one should not indulge excessively, which depletes Kidney essence and harms Kidney Qi.
Kidney Yang Deficiency
Kidney Yang deficiency and Kidney Qi deficiency are similar in nature, differing only in severity. Kidney Qi deficiency is mild, while Kidney Yang deficiency is severe; Qi deficiency is a gradual decline to Yang deficiency, and Yang deficiency is a significant decline from Qi deficiency. It is like a stove: when the fire is strong, both Qi and Yang are sufficient; as the fire burns down, it can still boil water and cook food, but it takes longer. If used to cook dumplings, it may turn into a pot of porridge, which is Qi deficiency; if it continues to cool down, although the fire is not extinguished and there are still some red coals, it cannot boil water or cook food, which is Yang deficiency.
Qi deficiency indicates insufficient function, while Yang deficiency indicates insufficient function combined with cold symptoms. Because when Yang is deficient, Yin prevails, just like a weak fire that cannot provide warmth, making one feel cold, with insufficient Yang energy to warm the body, leading to symptoms such as cold intolerance, lower back and knee pain, inability to warm the feet at night, pale complexion, male impotence and premature ejaculation, female cold womb and infertility, chronic diarrhea, and undigested food.
Kidney Qi deficiency and Kidney Yang deficiency are often age-related. If treated actively in the early stages, there can be a certain degree of delay and recovery. However, in older individuals with kidney failure, it is like a fire that is about to go out; it cannot be reignited. Therefore, to prevent early onset of Kidney Qi deficiency and Kidney Yang deficiency, young people should practice moderation in sexual activity, avoid overwork and excess leisure, follow the seasons, and preserve essence and true vitality, which is the true method of nourishing the kidneys.
Kidney Yin Deficiency
Qi deficiency and Yang deficiency indicate functional insufficiency, while Yin deficiency indicates material insufficiency. When Yin is insufficient, Yang is excessive, leading to heat. Therefore, Kidney Yin deficiency manifests as lower back and knee soreness and pain, dizziness, tinnitus, premature ejaculation, hair loss, weight loss, forgetfulness, and feelings of heat and restlessness.
The causes of material insufficiency include congenital deficiency, weak Kidney Yin; chronic illness damaging Kidney Yin; febrile diseases injuring Yin; and excessive sexual activity damaging Yin essence. The latter is particularly common in modern times.
To nourish Kidney Yin, Liu Wei Di Huang Wan (Six-Ingredient Rehmannia Pill) is the first choice. For mild cases, it can be taken directly; for severe cases, it is better to prepare it as a decoction, as decoctions have sufficient dosage and potency. For those with significant Kidney Yin deficiency or severe loss of body fluids after a high fever, Liu Wei Di Huang Wan can be modified into a decoction with the addition of Mai Dong (Ophiopogon), Tian Men Dong (Asparagus), and Huang Jing (Polygonatum).
Image: Mai Dong (Ophiopogon)
However, when treating deficiency syndromes, it is quicker to replenish Qi and Yang; for Yin and Blood deficiency, replenishment is slower. This is because Qi is formless, flows and changes easily, is generated quickly, and consumed quickly; while Yin is tangible, relatively fixed, generated slowly, and consumed slowly. Therefore, patients with Kidney Yin deficiency should not expect quick results.
Currently, some patients with impotence, premature ejaculation, and nocturnal emissions blindly trust certain folk remedies or quick-acting tonics, pursuing immediate effects, which often lead to more severe deficiency after a temporary effect, even endangering life. This is akin to drinking poison to quench thirst and is extremely inadvisable; caution is advised!
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Copyright Statement
This article is excerpted from “Micro TCM, Volume 1: Observing TCM in Daily Life”, published by China Traditional Chinese Medicine Press, Zhang Honghai◎ Author, with all rights reserved by the original author.All images are copyright images purchased by the publisher from the image website; please do not steal images.
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