Insufficiency of kidney essence

A disease pattern chiefly characterized by slow development; reduced sexual function; premature aging.

Description: Slow development in infants and children: short stature; soft bones; delayed closure of the fontanels; low intelligence. Lowered reproductive function in adults: in men, scant semen and infertility; in women, amenorrhea and infertility. Premature aging in later years: early deterioration of mental faculties: forgetfulness; feeblemindedness (dementia); deafness and tinnitus; loosening of the teeth; hair loss; limp aching lumbus and knees; weak bones; wilting of the lower limbs; blackish facial complexion; pale tongue; and a pulse that is fine and weak.

Diseases: Ununited skull; five slownesses; five limpnesses; wilting patterns; dizziness; vacuity taxation; impotence; infertility.

Pathogenesis: Insufficiency of kidney essence hindering its developmental and anti-aging functions. This stems from any of the following factors:

• constitutional insufficiency or debilitation in advancing age;
• enduring illness;
• sexual intemperance.

Analysis of signs

• Early development: When kidney essence is insufficient, it fails to produce qì and blood required for normal growth; hence, slow growth and development, delayed closure of the fontanel gates, soft bones, short stature, and low intelligence.
• Reproduction: When male and female reproductive essence is lacking, there is scant semen and infertility in men or scant menstruation or amenorrhea with infertility in women.
• Aging: When kidney essential qì declines with abnormal rapidity in later adulthood, there is early deterioration of mental faculties, forgetfulness, torpor of essence-spirit, feeblemindedness (dementia), deafness, tinnitus, loosening of the teeth, blackish facial complexion; blackish elderly pigment macules on the skin, hair loss, weak bones, and wilting of the lower limbs. Remember, black is the color associated with the water phase.

Comparison: See table.

Treatment

Medicinal therapy: Insufficiency of essence is treated by supplementation with flavor. Commonly used medicinals include: placenta (Hominis Placenta, 紫河车 zǐ hé chē), deerhorn (Cervi Cornu, 鹿角 lù jiǎo) tortoise shell (Testudinis Carapax et Plastrum, 龟版 guī bǎn), eucommia (Eucommiae Cortex, 杜仲 dù zhòng), lycium berry (Lycii Fructus, 枸杞子 gǒu qǐ zǐ), cistanche (Cistanches Herba, 肉苁蓉 ròu cōng róng), morinda (Morindae Officinalis Radix, 巴戟天 bā jǐ tiān), cynomorium (Cynomorii Herba, 锁阳 suǒ yáng), cornus (Corni Fructus, 山茱萸 shān zhū yú), cuscuta (Cuscutae Semen, 菟丝子 tù sī zǐ), and cooked rehmannia (Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata, 熟地黄 shú dì huáng). Formulas include Left-Restoring [Kidney Yin] Pill (左归丸 zuǒ guī wán) and powdered placenta (Hominis Placenta, 紫河车 zǐ hé chē). Where cold signs are present, Right-Restoring [Life Gate] Pill (右归丸 yòu guī wán) may be used to replenish essence and warm the kidney. The presence of heat signs calls for Placenta Great Creation Pill (河车大造丸 hé chē dà zào wán), which enriches the kidney and boosts essence.

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on KI and back transport points. Select BL-23 (Kidney Transport, 肾俞 shèn shù), BL-52 (Palace of Essence, 精宫 jīng gōng), KI-3 (Great Ravine, 太溪 tài xī), SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo), and GB-39 (Severed Bone, 绝骨 jué gǔ); needle with supplementation.

Further developments: Because kidney essence can transform into qì and blood, insufficiency of kidney essence can give rise to insecurity of kidney qì or blood vacuity.