Diagnosis This is a complicated condition of deficiency of both Kidney-Yang and
Kidney-Yin. The symptoms of Kidney-Yang deficiency are: impotence,
diarrhoea in the mornings and Swollen tongue. The symptoms of
Kidney-Yin deficiency are: Red tongue, peeled coating, tinnitus,
insomnia and dry throat.

Treatment principle As the diarrhoea was his main concern because the frequency of bowel
movements in the morning severely interfered with his work, attention
was directed at treating this first. In order to treat the diarrhoea,
Kidney-Yang should be tonified and warmed. However, he suffered
from a deficiency of both Kidney-Yin and Kidney-Yang, and tonifying
and warming the latter with a Kidney-Yang herbal formula, would
definitely aggravate the former. In such complex cases of deficiency of
both Yin and Yang, acupuncture is often preferable to herbal medicine
as, with acupuncture, the Kidneys can be strengthened in general,
without any special emphasis on Yin or Yang.

Acupuncture The main points used (with reinforcing method) were chosen from the
following:

ST-37 Shangjuxu and BL-25 Dachangshu to stop chronic diarrhoea.

BL-23 Shenshu, KI-7 Fuliu, Ren-4 Guanyuan and Ren-6 Qihai to

tonify the Kidneys.

HE-7 Shenmen and KI-6 Zhaohai to calm the Mind and promote sleep.

This patient needed treatment for over a year in order to achieve a cure

as his condition was very long-standing.

Prognosis

Diarrhoea responds very well to treatment with acupuncture and herbs. Acute diarrhoea responds
practically immediately and acupuncture and herbs (or patent remedies) are probably the
medicine of choice in this condition. For example, for acute diarrhoea from Damp-Heat, the
patent remedy Po Chai Pill is extremely effective.

As for chronic diarrhoea, this naturally takes longer to treat and occasionally, it may be very
stubborn. If it is due to Kidney-Yang deficiency, male patients should reduce the level of their
sexual activity.