Dampness Kidney-Yang deficiency

Du Zhong and Gou Ji strengthen the back and benefit the joints. They can be used in chronic Bi syndrome due to wind, cold and dampness with Kidney-Yang deficiency, especially in elderly people. 

When patients suffer from chronic liver or kidney disease, the selection of the herbs and their dosages should be determined carefully to avoid placing an unnecessary workload on these weakened organs. At the same time, herbs that protect these organs and promote their function should also be included. For instance, acute or chronic liver diseases are mainly differentiated into a syndrome consisting of Spleen-Qi deficiency, damp-heat and heat-toxin accumulation, and herbs that treat this syndrome can be used. Chronic kidney diseases are mainly differentiated as Kidney-Yang and Spleen-Yang deficiency, dampness accumulation and heat-toxin in the blood. Herbs that treat this syndrome should be used in appropriate doses to help restore kidney function. 

Fu Ling is sweet, bland and neutral, and enters the Heart, Spleen, Stomach, Lung and Kidney meridians. It is able to drain out dampness by promoting urination. It can also tonify the Spleen and calm the mind. Because it is sweet and bland, it drains out dampness without the side effect of injuring the Yin and Yang of the body. In the condition of Spleen-Yang deficiency, it is often used as an assistant for treating accumulation of water and dampness in the Middle-Jiao. The manifestations are heaviness of the body, distension of the abdomen and difficult urination. 

The drugs for treating hypertension can quickly descend the Qi and Yang of Liver, but they may suppress the Liver-Qi. They may also slow down water metabolism and blood circulation. Therefore the syndrome can change into one of Liver-Qi stagnation with Kidney-Yin and Liver-Yin deficiency, or Liver-Qi stagnation with dampness accumulation in the Middle-Jiao. 

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