Osteoporosis, Tinnitus, and Hair Loss Are Kidney Related, Tips on Invigorating Renal Function

Kidney Strength Equals Robust Immunity

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We often hear people complaining about a litany of ailments such as hair and tooth loss, tinnitus, coldness, hunchback, low-back pain, panic, down-spiritedness, and brain power decline, amongst others.

In Western medicine, treatment of such ailments and symptoms are grouped according to different categories. But from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), all of these symptoms are likely to be related to kidney deficiency. In other words, if the kidney receives proper invigoration and is strengthened, all these symptoms could be improved.

How ‘Kidneys’ in TCM Is Different From ‘Kidneys’ in Western Medicine

The concept of kidney function in TCM is different from that in Western medicine.

From the perspective of Western medicine, the kidneys are part of the urinary system, responsible for filtering impurities in the blood, maintaining the balance of body fluids and electrolytes, and finally producing urine that is excreted through the posterior ducts. Moreover, it also has the functionalities of endocrine and blood pressure regulation.

From the perspective of TCM, the kidneys are not just related to the metabolism of water but are also related to the growth, development, reproduction, emotion, excretion, and other functions of the body, involving multiple systems such as bones, hormones, and immunity.

Osteoporosis, Tinnitus, and Hair Loss Are Kidney Related

We often hear older people claim their bones are sore and moving around is difficult. Bone soreness is a manifestation of kidney deficiency. Eating too much sweet food daily will cause damage to the kidneys and result in osteoporosis, which causes soreness in the lower back and bones of the knee. In addition, kidney deficiency will reduce the blood supply to the hair causing graying and thinning. But with sufficient kidney qi (vital energy) and consuming less sweet food, hair loss and graying can be reduced.

Once you have osteoporosis of the spine, you are prone to "spine bending" symptoms. "Bending" here means that the low back seems to be folded down. This symptom may indicate kidney deficiency or dysfunction. TCM believes that the low back is the habitat of the kidneys. To avoid osteoporosis, you need to invigorate the kidneys.

In addition, many people have symptoms of tinnitus. There are two types of tinnitus, one is high-pitched tinnitus with a feeling of metal vibration and the other is low-pitched tinnitus. High-pitched tinnitus is a kidney problem, most likely caused by kidney deficiency. Low-pitch tinnitus is mostly related to the liver, usually caused by liver deficiency.

How Do We Maintain Healthy Kidneys?

In TCM, what are considered "black foods," such as black purple rice, black sesame, Fallopia multiflora, black fungus, and silkie chicken have the effect of nourishing the kidneys. Delicious silkie chicken soup has a nourishing effect on the kidneys and is simple to make.

Ingredients:

Half a silkie chicken

1 3/4 to 6 1/2 ounces Fallopia multiflora (a traditional Chinese herb)

(1 to 1.3 ounces) of wolfberry (also known as goji berry)

8–10 red dates

6 slices (6 teaspoons) of old ginger

3 shiitake mushrooms

Preparation:

Add the silkie chicken and the rest of the ingredients to a pot. Add 5-6 cups water (enough to just cover the chicken). Simmer for about an hour and serve.

In TCM theory, qi, blood, essence, and body fluids are essential substances for all physiological activities, originating from the internal organs and flowing continuously around the body. Therefore, ensuring these essential substances are adequate and circulating properly throughout the body is vital for good health. Diseases or other conditions are often caused by stagnation or deficiency of these vital substances.

TCM believes that if you strengthen the kidneys in winter, you can store enough essence in them to be able to avoid colds and other diseases come spring. On the contrary, if you do not strengthen your kidneys well in winter, you are more likely to get colds and other diseases in the following season.

When we talk about storing essence, (which can mean different things), we refer primarily to kidney essence. Proper storage will go a long way to protecting it and proper upkeep of kidney essence is beneficial to preventing diseases.

Strong Kidneys Equal Less Susceptibility to Panic Attacks and Dementia

According to the "Yellow Emperor's Canon of Internal Medicine," the liver, heart, spleen, lungs, and kidneys are all related to one’s emotions. Specifically, anger is associated with the liver, worry is linked with the spleen, joy with the heart, sadness with the lungs, and fear with the kidneys. Therefore, panic can weaken the kidneys. When kidney qi is strong, one is less likely to panic and feel lost in an emergency situation.

Older people with strong kidney qi are more confident in urgent situations, their memory will not decline, and they can avoid dementia.

TCM believes that "the spleen is the postnatal foundation, and the kidney is the congenital foundation." To acquire longevity, you must do all you can to nourish and strengthen the spleen and kidneys. If both the kidneys and spleen are not in good shape, TCM will consider such a person as possessing poor innate quality, and his/her life span will not be long.

Take 'Huan Shao Dan' to Enhance Immunity and Growth in Children

Let me introduce one Chinese medicinal pill called "Huan Shao Dan" (for restoring youth) that can replenish the deficiency of the heart, kidneys, spleen, and stomach, and enhance immunity. Once the immunity is improved, one is less likely to get sick and may live longer. It also has the medicinal effect of "rejuvenation."

In the past, I had the experience of prescribing Huan Shao Dan to children. Some might wonder why children would be given a prescription for rejuvenation. This is because I noticed that the enamel on the teeth of the children had disappeared and that the teeth had decayed—a symptom indicating some form of kidney deficiency.

Huan Shao Dan is an effective kidney tonifying prescription. After taking it for several weeks, the enamel of the children's teeth began to grow back slowly and gradually returned to normal. This demonstrated that tonifying the kidney was effective.

Only children with good bone quality are expected to grow taller during adolescence. If the joint in the bone shrinks or degenerates, it will affect the eventual body height. Taking a prescription invigorating the kidneys at this time can help children recover and grow.

Note: Some of the above-mentioned herbs may sound unfamiliar, but many are available in health food stores and Asian groceries. In addition, due to the different physique of each person, corresponding treatment methods are also different. Please consult a professional physician for specific treatment plans.