Kidney and Spleen Yang Deficiency with Empty Cold
Kidney and Spleen Yang Deficiency with Empty Cold
Educational content • Consult qualified TCM practitioners for diagnosis and treatment
Diagnostic Signs
Slow (Chi), Weak (Ruo)
Key Characteristic Symptoms
Diagnostic Considerations
abdominal pain eased by warmth or pressure, dark blood and pus in stool, a pale tongue, and a slow, frail pulse.
Causes & Pathology
Common Causes
Excessive consumption of cold and raw foods may weaken Kidney Yang. Kidney depleting substances such as alcohol, coffee or sugar can also be factors.
Excessive physical work or exercise - especially lifting things - weakens Kidney Yang.
Excessive sexual activity in men, particularly masturbation, weakens Kidney Yang.
A chronic illness, especially if it leads to Spleen Yang Deficiency, can over a long period of time lead to Kidney Yang Deficiency
Pathological Mechanism
This pattern typically evolves from an initial Damp-Heat dysenteric disorder, leading to a gradual weakening of the Spleen and Stomach. Over time, this progresses into a Cold Deficiency state, marked by the inability of the Middle Burner (Spleen and Stomach) to digest, transform, or transport food, and a weakened Lower Burner fire that fails to metabolize water.
This Deficiency results in an internal obstruction of Damp-Cold, disrupting the Qi mechanism in the Large Intestine and leading to collateral damage. Symptoms include dark blood and pus in the stool, abdominal pain relieved by warmth or pressure, a pale tongue, and a slow, frail, or faint and thin pulse, indicative of Spleen and Kidney Yang Deficiency.
Treatment Approach
Treatment Principle
Warm the Middle and Lower Burner, expels Cold, stop dysentery.
Recommended Herbal Formulas
Diet & Lifestyle Recommendations
Eat only cooked food (nothing raw) and favor foods that are warming in nature such as beef or lamb.
For exercising favor light activities such as walking, swimming, bicycling, Yoga, Tai Chi or Qi Gong.
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