TCM Treatment Modalities for Impotence
When the yin yang theory is used to explain the kidney's physiology, activities or functions pertain to yang, and the physical form pertains to yin. In this way, sexual activity is the manifestation of kidney yang, which is fueled by the material basis in kidney yin, the essence (jing). To extend the meaning, we can understand why TCM regards impotence as “withered yang"(yang wei), while enhancement in sexual function is said to strengthen/enhance yang.
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| A traditional Chinese herbal shop |
Relatively speaking, TCM therapies stress holistic regulation, which means they adjust the entire physical and physiological functions in the body. Among the different remedies or modalities, most target the root of the aliment in order to enable the body's own equilibrium functions to balance it again. In this way, damage can be repaired and function be resumed gradually and naturally.
For the treatment of impotence, ancient TCM physicians used to fortify the kidney-yang only. However, due to advances in medical knowledge, modern TCM physicians now rely more on syndrome differentiation. They understand that the liver, spleen and heart also play important roles in the causes of impotence and also should be addressed in its treatment.
Essential aspects of treatment:
- When a deficiency exists, it should be tonified;
- When an excess exists, it should be reduced;
- When too much heat is present, it should be expelled or cooled;
- When no heat is present, the body should be warmed.
To sum up, it is inappropriate to focus on the kidneys exclusively as the cause of impotence. Identifying disharmony patterns or syndromes carefully is necessary for achieving treatment results. A valid therapy encompasses regulating the liver, nourishing the spleen, promoting normal heart activities and enhancing gall bladder function respectively . Different therapeutic modalities may be applied in conjunction with one another to improve the success rates.
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