Kidneys and Adrenals In Traditional Chinese Medicine

By Jody Smith HERWriter

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In traditional Chinese medicine, balance is the goal. The kidneys are your source of yin and yang. When you are in excellent health, the relaxed yin state is in balance with the adrenal yang state.

When you experience an excess of yin or yang influences, the problem may be in the kidneys. Any chronic imbalance can eventually cause a deficiency in the kidneys.

In traditional Chinese medicine, the kidneys are your most important organs. They regulate your internal qi (chi). If you are strong physically, and sound mentally and emotionally, you have abundant kidney qi.

Kidney yang provides heat for digestion and other metabolic functions. Kidney yang deficiency is associated with cold hands and feet, abundant-clear urine, edema and night urination. You may be pale, with back and knee pain, low libido, aversion to cold and a general apathy.

Western chronic conditions of adrenal fatigue, back pain, depression, hypothyroidism, kidney inflammation and sexual dysfunction parallel kidney yang deficiency.

In traditional Chinese medicine, kidney yang involves the reactive sympathetic nervous system and the hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine, produced in the adrenals. A kidney yang deficiency causes endocrine (hormonal) dysfunction.

To correct the imbalance of kidney yang deficiency, you must warm the kidneys. Stay away from cold or raw foods, sugar and antibiotics, which deplete yang.

Kidney yin involves the parasympathetic nervous system and the hormone cortisol, produced in the adrenals. Cortisol reduces the effects of stress. During times of stress, cortisol production rises.

If stress is too prolonged or becomes chronic, cortisol production drops. Kidney yin deficiency may be considered a lack of cortisol.

Kidney yin deficiency is associated with sore back, leg weakness, tinnitis and vertigo. You may have a dry throat, a feeling of fever in hands and feet, a flushed face, and feel anxious with a fast pulse. You may have insomnia, with night sweats, menstrual irregularities, and inflammation.

The body's inability to repair and maintain itself is kidney yin deficiency. Parallels in western disorders might be diabetes, high blood pressure, hyperthyroidism, lumbago and some psychological disorders.

In traditional Chinese medicine, the adrenals are associated with kidney energy.

Using adrenal fatigue as an example of how the seeming opposites of kidney yang deficiency and kidney yin deficiency are intricately intertwined, adrenal fatigue is a kidney yang deficiency.

If the condition of adrenal fatigue should continue without treatment or improvement, its progression can lead to a kidney yin deficiency.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Internal Organ Syndromes
http://health.howstuffworks.com/traditional-chinese-medicine-internal-organ-syndromes5.htm

Traditional Chinese Medicine Can Help Adrenal Fatigue
http://www.royaldynastytea.com/acupuncture-massage-news/articles/745-traditional-chinese-medicine-can-help-adrenal-fatigue.html

Adrenal Fatigue and Therapy Through Traditional Chinese Medicine
http://online-business-articles.com/Art/9715/88/Adrenal-Fatigue-And-Therapy-Through-Traditional-Chinese-Medicine.html

Adrenal Fatigue -- A Chi Perspective
http://blog.adrenalfatigue.org/bid/26932/Adrenal-Fatigue-A-Chi-Perspective

Visit Jody's website and blog at http://www.ncubator.ca and http://ncubator.ca/blogger

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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.