Kidney Essence Deficiency
Kidney Essence Deficiency
Educational content • Consult qualified TCM practitioners for diagnosis and treatment
Diagnostic Signs
Red and peeled tongue
Empty (Xu), Floating (Fu)
Key Characteristic Symptoms
Diagnostic Considerations
Key characteristic symptoms of this pattern are the poor bone development for children as well as weak knees, falling hair, weak sexual activity for adult.
If the pattern is due to Kidney Yin Deficiency, there won't be any coating. If it is caused by Kidney Yang Deficiency, the tongue will be pale.
Causes & Pathology
Common Causes
In children, hereditary weakness is almost the only reason for this pattern. If often happens if the parents are too old or in poor health at the time of conception.
Excessive sexual activity consumes Kidney Essence.
For women, prolonged loss of blood over many years can lead to this pattern. It often happens to these suffering often from heavy periods.
This pattern can be caused by having too many kids too close together without proper recovery in between.
Pathological Mechanism
Kidney Essence (Jing 精) Deficiency usually involves Deficiency of Kidney Yin and, to some extent, Kidney Yang. Its signs manifest in relation to growth, development, reproduction, sexuality, bones, marrow, the brain, teeth, memory and hair.
Poor hereditary constitution in children, aging, excessive sexual activity and Kidney Yin or Yang Deficiency over a prolonged time may lead to the decreasing of Kidney Essence.
In children, this pattern is almost always caused by a hereditary weakness. It can be due to parents being too old or in poor health at the time of conception. The typical manifestation is poor bone development and late closure of fontanelle. It is because the Essence is essential in generating Marrow and nourish the bones. For the same reason, this pattern can lead to bones softening as well as knees and legs weakness for adults.
The Deficient Kidney Essence fails to fills the brain with Marrow, hence the symptoms of retardation for kids as well as poorer memory and decreased mental sharpness for adults.
The Essence is also responsible for the hair growth. Therefore the lacking of Essence gives rise to hair lose or premature greying of hair.
Finally, the Kidney Essence is the essential element in term of healthy sexual function. Therefore this pattern causes all kinds of sexual inability for both women and men as well as infertility and sterility.
Treatment Approach
Treatment Principle
Nourish the Essence, tonify the Kidneys
Recommended Herbal Formulas
Zuo Gui Wan
Nourishes the Yin, Strengthens the Kidneys
Wu Zi Yan Zong Wan
Tonifies Kidney Yang, Strengthens the Essence
Tu Si Zi Wan
Warms the Kidneys, Prevents abnormal leakage such as urinary incontinence or seminal emissions
Qi Bao Mei Ran Dan
Enriches the Kidney Yin and Essence, Nourishes the Liver Blood
Diet & Lifestyle Recommendations
Eat a balanced diet of all cooked foods and those with a warm energy such as whole grains, legumes (especially aduki beans), meat (especially lamb, beef and pork), cooked vegetables and greens. Drink walnut tea or use walnuts in cooking. Asparagus, black cherry juice, raspberries and millet all aid Kidney Qi.
Avoid any intake of cold and raw foods and drinks, frozen yogurt, ice cream, popsicles, iced and refrigerated drinks, juices, sodas, coffee and other caffeinated foods and drinks, sugar, alcohol, soy milk and tofu.
Avoid excessive sexual activity, exposure to cold (especially over the lower abdomen and back), and excessive use of hot tubs and saunas, being sure to dunk or thoroughly rinse in cool water after they are used.
Wear a harimaki to protect the abdomen from the external Coldness. Apply moxibustion or ginger fomentations over the lower abdomen and Kidney regions. Try also breathing exercises.
Get plenty of physical exercise as appropriate for your body's capability. Do the Four Purifications and Ujjayi (in the Winter) and the Eight Brocades, especially exercise numbers 7 and 8.
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