Frequent urination

Increased frequency of urination, most commonly due to bladder heat or kidney (yīn or yáng) vacuity.

Patterns

Bladder damp-heat (膀胱湿热 páng guāng shī rè): Frequent urination due to bladder damp-heat is accompanied by urinary urgency, scorching pain on urination, and short voidings of yellow murky urine.

Medicinal therapy: Clear and disinhibit damp-heat. Use Eight Corrections Powder (八正散 bā zhèng sǎn).

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on CV, SP, and ST. Select CV-3 (Central Pole, 中极 zhōng jí), LR-2 (Moving Between, 行间 xíng jiān), SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo), SP-9 (Yīn Mound Spring, 阴陵泉 yīn líng quán), BL-28 (Bladder Transport, 膀胱俞 páng guāng shù), and ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ); needle with drainage.

Kidney yáng vacuity (肾阳虚 shèn yáng xū): Frequent urination due to vacuous kidney yáng failing to retain urine is accompanied by copious clear urine. Other signs include lack of warmth in the extremities, dizziness, tinnitus, limp aching lumbus and knees, and an enlarged pale tongue.

Medicinal therapy: Warm and supplement kidney yáng. Use Eight-Ingredient Pill (八味丸 bā wèi wán) plus psoralea (Psoraleae Fructus, 补骨脂 bǔ gǔ zhī), velvet deerhorn (Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum, 鹿茸 lù róng), mantis egg-case (Mantidis Oötheca, 桑螵蛸 sāng piāo xiāo), and rubus (Rubi Fructus, 覆盆子 fù pén zǐ).

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on CV, back transport points, GV, and KI. Select CV-6 (Sea of Qì, 气海 qì hǎi), SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo), CV-3 (Central Pole, 中极 zhōng jí), BL-23 (Kidney Transport, 肾俞 shèn shù), KI-3 (Great Ravine, 太溪 tài xī), GV-4 (Life Gate, 命门 mìng mén), and CV-4 (Pass Head, 关元 guān yuán), needling with supplementation and adding moxa.

Kidney yīn vacuity (肾阴虚 shèn yīn xū): Frequent urination due to yīn vacuity heat is characterized by pale yellow urine, and accompanied by dizziness, tinnitus, steaming bone taxation heat [effusion], vacuity vexation, and night sweating. Although, like the bladder damp-heat pattern, it is a heat pattern, kidney yīn vacuity is not associated with burning pain, urinary urgency, and the yellow or reddish urine observed in damp-heat.

Medicinal therapy: Enrich kidney yīn. Use Six-Ingredient Rehmannia Pill (六味地黄丸 liù wèi dì huáng wán) and variations.

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on CV, KI, and SP. Select CV-3 (Central Pole, 中极 zhōng jí), CV-6 (Sea of Qì, 气海 qì hǎi), SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo), SP-9 (Yīn Mound Spring, 阴陵泉 yīn líng quán), BL-23 (Kidney Transport, 肾俞 shèn shù), KI-3 (Great Ravine, 太溪 tài xī), KI-6 (Shining Sea, 照海 zhào hǎi), and KI-2 (Blazing Valley, 然谷 rán gǔ); needle with even supplementation and drainage or with supplementation.

Depressed liver qì (肝气郁 gān qì yù): Frequent urination due to depressed liver qì in women is characterized by frequent urination with urgency, scant voidings, and a feeling of distension in the lower abdomen.

Medicinal therapy: Use Free Wanderer Powder (逍遥散 xiāo yáo sǎn) plus plantago seed (Plantaginis Semen, 车前子 chē qián zǐ). In pregnancy, frequent short voiding with scant urine indicates fetal pressure and is attributable to qì vacuity. Frequent urination with thick unctuous urine combined with great thirst with intake of fluid, and swift digestion and rapid hungering is a sign of dispersion-thirst. Frequent urination with pain on voiding indicates strangury.

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on CV, SP, and LR. Select CV-3 (Central Pole, 中极 zhōng jí), CV-6 (Sea of Qì, 气海 qì hǎi), SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo), LR-3 (Supreme Surge, 太冲 tài chōng), PC-6 (Inner Pass, 内关 nèi guān), TB-6 (Branch Ditch, 支沟 zhī gōu), and GB-34 (Yáng Mound Spring, 阳陵泉 yáng líng quán); needle with drainage or with even supplementation and drainage.