Kidney Yang Deficiency
Kidney Yang Deficiency
Educational content • Consult qualified TCM practitioners for diagnosis and treatment
Diagnostic Signs
Pale tongue
Deep (Chen), Slow (Chi)
Key Characteristic Symptoms
Other Associated Symptoms
Diagnostic Considerations
Key characteristic symptoms of this pattern are the back pain, feeling of cold, profuse clear urination, pale tongue and deep pulse.
Causes & Pathology
Common Causes
A chronic diseases, especially these come with Spleen Yang Deficiency, can harm Kidney Yang if they are kept untreated for a very long time.
Excessive sexual activities can also cause this pattern, especially if one is exposed to cold immediately after intercourse.
For woman patients, their Kidney Yang can be largely impaired if they happen to have too early, for example, during puberty.
Excessive physical work depletes Kidney Yang.
Like physical over-exertion, over-exercising is also a cause for consuming Kidney Yang.
Excessive intake of cold and raw foods and drinks as well as juices, fruits, iced drinks and foods such as ice cream or frozen yogurt create Cold in the Kidneys and injure the Yang.
There are other Kidney depleting substances such as alcohol, coffee, caffeinated drinks or foods, tobacco and sugar.
Overexposure to cold and wet climates and environments can cause this pattern.
Pathological Mechanism
Kidney Yang Deficiency causes Internal Cold and weakness. It indicates that the Fire of the Gate of Life, which is located between the two Kidneys and supplies fundamental warmth for the body, is also impaired. Therefore, the Organs lack warmth and cannot fully perform their functions.
Additionally, Essence cannot warm the sexual function and the Uterus, which can lead to infertility and lowered libido. It also causes insufficient Qi to strengthen the bones, making them brittle.
In severe cases, Yang's function of transforming Body Fluids is impaired. Thus Oedema accumulates and it cause water retention in other Organs, especially the Heart and the Lungs. As a result, symptoms such as breathlessness on exertion, cough, asthma with thin, watery and frothy sputum, palpitations as well as cold hands may appear.
Kidney Yang Deficiency is often paired with patterns such as Deficient Heart, Deficient Spleen Yang or Deficient Lung Qi.
Treatment Approach
Treatment Principle
Tonify and warm the Kidneys, strengthen the Gate of Life Fire.
Recommended Herbal Formulas
Ba Wei Di Huang Wan
Tonifies Yang, Warms the Kidneys and lower extremities
You Gui Wan
Warms and tonifies Kidney Yang, Replenishes the Essence
Er Xian Tang
Nourishes Yin and tonifies Yang of the Kidneys, Clears Empty Heat
Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan
Tonifies and warms Kidney Yang
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
Ji Chuan Jian
Warms the Kidneys, Nourishes the Blood
Yu Lin Zhu
Tonifies Kidney Yang, Consolidates the Penetrating and Directing Vessel (Chong Mai, Ren Mai)
Ji Sheng Shen Qi Wan
Tonifies the Kidneys, Warms Yang
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.
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Pattern Relationships
Can Develop Into
Related Conditions
This pattern can manifest as: