Yīn protrusion

1. Rigid center.

2. Yáng rigidity.

3. Yīn protraction.

4. Also vaginal protrusion; eggplant disease; eggplant yīn; yīn downfall. A women’s disease characterized by heaviness, sagging, and swelling of the anterior yīn or the hanging of the interior outside the body. Yīn protrusion is usually the result of center qì fall or insufficiency of kidney qì, if not due to holding the breath and straining in childbirth. The center qì fall pattern is one of vacuity and includes signs such as a sagging sensation in the abdomen, heart palpitation, shortness of breath, lassitude of spirit, vaginal discharge, and a floating vacuous pulse. Kidney vacuity is identified by the presence of limp aching lumbus and knees. If there is redness, swelling, and a exudation of yellow water, as is often the case when friction causes damage, the pattern is considered to be one of damp-heat pouring downward; this condition may also be identified by a burning sensation on urination, heart vexation, spontaneous sweating, a dry mouth with bitter taste, and a slippery rapid pulse.

Biomedical correspondence: prolapse of the uterus, cystocele, colpocele.

Medicinal therapy: For center qì fall, treat by supplementing vacuity and raising the fall using Center-Supplementing Qì-Boosting Decoction (补中益气汤 bǔ zhōng yì qì tāng) with extra cimicifuga (Cimicifugae Rhizoma, 升麻 shēng má) and mix-fried astragalus (Astragali Radix, 黄芪 huáng qí). For kidney vacuity, treat by supplementing the kidney and boosting qì with Major Origin-Supplementing Brew (大补元煎 dà bǔ yuán jiān). If protruding parts have become swollen and exude yellow water, and if voidings are rough with reddish urine, use Gentian Liver-Draining Decoction (龙胆泻肝汤 lóng dǎn xiè gān tāng) and variations. For topical treatment, decoct mume (Mume Fructus, 乌梅 wū méi) and cnidium seed (Cnidii Fructus, 蛇床子 shé chuáng zǐ) as a wash.

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment on CV and GV. Main points: CV-4 (Pass Head, 关元 guān yuán), CV-6 (Sea of Qì, 气海 qì hǎi), GV-20 (Hundred Convergences, 百会 bǎi huì), and Infant’s Palace (子宫 zǐ gōng). For qì vacuity fall, add ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ) and SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo); needle with supplementation and add moxa. For kidney vacuity, add KI-12 (Great Manifestation, 大赫 dà hè), and KI-6 (Shining Sea, 照海 zhào hǎi), needling with supplementation and adding moxa. For damp-heat pouring downward, add LI-11 (Pool at the Bend, 曲池 qū chí), LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ), and SP-9 (Yīn Mound Spring, 阴陵泉 yīn líng quán); needle with drainage.

Etymology

Chin 阴 yīn, yīn (complement of yáng), yīn (i.e., private) parts; 挺 tǐng, stick up or forward, protrude, project, describing the erect or quasi-erect state of the penis and prolapse of the uterus. Note that eggplant disease and eggplant yīn describing the pathological condition in females derive from the similarity in appearance of a prolapsed uterus to a an eggplant.