NMT150 TCM E-Learning Lecture 6 PDF

NMT150: NATUROPATHIC THERAPEUTICS I T R A D I T I O N A L C H I N E S E M E D I C I N E ( TC M ) E-LEARNING LECTURE 6 TC M K I D N E Y A N D U R I N A R Y B L A D D E R F U N C T I O N S A N D T H EO R Y Author: Dr. Romi Fung, ND, M.Sc, Ph.D (cand.) LEARNING OBJECTIVES TCM Kidney and Urinary Blad...

NMT150: NATUROPATHIC THERAPEUTICS I T R A D I T I O N A L C H I N E S E M E D I C I N E ( TC M ) E-LEARNING LECTURE 6 TC M K I D N E Y A N D U R I N A R Y B L A D D E R F U N C T I O N S A N D T H EO R Y Author: Dr. Romi Fung, ND, M.Sc, Ph.D (cand.) LEARNING OBJECTIVES TCM Kidney and Urinary Bladder Functions TCM KIDNEY FUNCTION TCM KIDNEY FUNCTION Store the Essence and govern birth, growth, reproduction and development Essence (Jing) of the Kidneys is a precious substance which is inherited from the parents but also partly replenished by the Qi extracted from food. The Kidney-Essence determines growth, reproduction, development, sexual maturation, conception, pregnancy, menopause and ageing. The Kidney-Essence also controls the various stages of change in life, i.e. birth, puberty, menopause and death. TCM KIDNEY FUNCTION Kidney Essence Functions Governs growth Governs reproduction Governs development Governs sexual maturation Determines the 7- and 8-year cycles Influences conception Supports pregnancy Its decline induces menopause and determines ageing Is the material basis for Kidney-Yin and Kidney-Yang Yin aspect (Essence) and a Yang aspect (Minister Fire) TCM KIDNEY FUNCTION Produce Marrow, fill up the brain and control bones Derived from the Essence. Essence is the organic foundation for the production of Marrow. ‘Marrow’ (sui) does not correspond to bone marrow of Western medicine. ‘Marrow’ in Chinese medicine is a substance which is the common matrix of bones, bone marrow, brain andspinal cord TCM KIDNEY FUNCTION Produce Marrow, fill up the brain and control bones ‘The Brain is the Sea of Marrow.‘ In Chinese medicine the brain has a physiological relationship with the Kidneys. If Kidney-Essence is strong, it will nourish the brain and memory, concentration, thinking and sight will all be keen. Chinese medicine holds that ‘the Kidneys are the origin of skill and intelligence’. If the brain is not adequately nourished by the Essence, there may be poor memory and concentration, dizziness, dull thinking and poor sight. Brain and spinal cord are also referred to as ‘Sea of Marrow’ TCM KIDNEY FUNCTION The Marrow is also the basis for the formation of bone marrow, which nourishes the bones. Thus ,the Kidneys also govern the bone marrow and bones. TCM KIDNEY FUNCTION Kidneys govern the transformation and transportation of Body Fluids The Kidneys are like a gate that opens and closes in order to control the flow of Body Fluids in the Lower Burner. Under normal physiological conditions there will be a correct balance between Kidney-Yin and Kidney-Yang, resulting in the correct regulation of the opening and closing of the ‘gate’. Urination will therefore be normal in quantity and colour. In disease, there is an imbalance between Kidney-Yin and Kidney-Yang, resulting in a malfunctioning of the ‘gate’ in opening and closing: it will either be too open (deficiency of Kidney-Yang), causing profuse and pale urination, or too closed (deficiency of Kidney-Yin), causing scanty and dark urination TCM KIDNEY FUNCTION Kidneys govern the transformation and transportation of Body Fluids The Kidneys belong to the Lower Burner, which is sometimes compared to a ‘drainage ditch’. The organs of the Lower Burner are particularly concerned with the excretion of impure Body Fluids. The Kidneys have the function of providing Qi for the Bladder to store andtransform urine TCM KIDNEY FUNCTION Control the reception of Qi To make use of the clear Qi of the air, the Lungs and Kidneys work together. The Lungs have a descending action on Qi, directing it down to the Kidneys. The Kidneys respond by ‘holding’ this Qi down. If the Kidneys cannot hold Qi down it ‘rebels’ upward, creating congestion in the chest, resulting in breathlessness and asthma. The Lungs send Qi down to the Kidneys; the Kidneys respond by ‘receiving’ or ‘grasping’ Qi to hold it down. If the Kidneys do not receive and hold Qi down, this will escape upwards, causing breathlessness. TCM KIDNEY FUNCTION Open into the ears The Kidneys nourish the ears: a Kidney deficiency may cause deafness and/or tinnitus ‘The Kidneys open into the ears, if the Kidneys are healthy the ears can hear the five sounds.’ TCM KIDNEY FUNCTION Manifest in the (head) hair The hair relies on the nourishment of the Kidney Essence to grow. If the Kidney-Essence is abundant, the hair will grow well and will be healthy and glossy. If the Kidney-Essence is weak or is declining, the hair will become thin, brittle, dull-looking and may fall out altogether. TCM KIDNEY FUNCTION Control the two lower orifices The two lower orifices are the front and the rear lower orifices. The front orifices include the urethra and spermatic duct in men; the rear orifice is the anus. These orifices are functionally related to the Kidneys. A deficiency of Kidney-Qi or Kidney-Essence may cause spermatorrhoea or nocturnal emissions. Finally, the anus, although anatomically related to the Large Intestine, is also functionally related to the Kidneys. If Kidney-Qi is weak, there may be diarrhoea or prolapse of the anus. TCM KIDNEY FUNCTION House the Willpower (Zhi) Kidneys determine our willpower: this includes also determination, enthusiasm, spirit of initiative and steadfastness. If the Kidneys are strong, the Willpower will be strong, the Mind will be focused on goals that it sets itself and it will pursue them in a single-minded way. Conversely, if the Kidneys are weak, Willpower will be lacking, and the Mind will be easily discouraged and swayed from its aims. Lack of willpower and motivation are often important aspects of mental depression and tonification of the Kidneys will often give very good results. TCM KIDNEY FUNCTION Control the Gate of Life (Minister Fire, Ming Men) Root of the Original (Yuan) Qi Original Qi relies on heat for its performance and this heat is provided by the Gate of Life. If the Fire of the Gate of Life is deficient, Original Qi will suffer, and will inevitably lead to a general deficiency of Qi and Blood. TCM KIDNEY FUNCTION Control the Gate of Life (Minister Fire, Ming Men) Source of physiological Fire for all the Internal Organs All the organs rely on the heat provided by the Fire of the Gate of Life to function properly The Spleen needs its heat to transform and transport food essences, the Stomach needs it to rot and ripen food, the Heart needs it to house the Mind, the Lungs needs it to send Qi downwards and to diffuse Qi, the Liver needs it to ensure the free flow of Qi, the Intestines need it to move food and stools, the Gall Bladder needs it to secrete bile and the Triple Burner needs it to transform and excrete fluids. Warms the Lower Burner and Bladder Warms the Stomach and Spleen to aid digestion TCM KIDNEY FUNCTION Control the Gate of Life (Minister Fire, Ming Men) Harmonizes the sexual function and warms the Essence and Uterus The Fire of the Gate of Life is essential for a healthy sexual function and to warm the Essence and the Uterus. Yang aspect of the Essence. Sexual performance, fertility, puberty and menstruation all depend on the Fire of the Gate of Life. TCM KIDNEY FUNCTION Control the Gate of Life (Minister Fire, Ming Men) Assists the Kidney function of reception of Qi For Kidney-Yang to function normally, there must be communication between the Gathering Qi (Zong Qi) of the chest and the Original Qi (Yuan Qi) of the lower abdomen, which itself relies on the heat from the Gate of Life for its activity. TCM KIDNEY FUNCTION Control the Gate of Life (Minister Fire, Ming Men) Assists Heart of housing the Mind The Fire of the Gate of Life has to ascend from the Kidneys and communicate with the Heart, to provide it with the heat necessary for its functions. Because of this, the Fire of the Gate of Life assists the Heart in housing the Mind. Fire of the Gate of Life has a strong influence on the mental state and happiness. TCM URINARY BLADDER FUNCTION TCM URINARY BLADDER FUNCTION Removes water by Qi transformation The clear part of fluids separated by the Small Intestine passes on to the Bladder, which further transforms them into urine. The Bladder subsequently stores and excretes urine. The Bladder’s function of transforming fluids requires Qi and heat, which are provided by Kidney- Yang. In Chinese medicine this is usually called Bladder’s function of ‘Qi transformation’: that is, the transformation of fluids by Qi TCM URINARY BLADDER FUNCTION Mental aspect On a mental level, an imbalance in the Bladder can provoke negative emotions such as jealousy, suspicion and the holding of long-standing grudges. REFERENCES Maciocia, G. (2015). Foundations of Chinese Medicine. Third Edition.