Article 21

Conserving the Source

Kidneys and the Water Element in

Oriental Medicine

By Sybil Ihrig, L.Ac., D.O.M.

You might not realize it, but the water conservation theme of this issue has everything to do with the traditions of acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. In East Asian medical theory, the Kidneys and their corresponding Water element represent the foundation of the human being.

On a physiological level, this precious element and its associated organ control bone and brain function (the brain can be considered an extension of the “marrow” in ancient thinking) as well as the urinary tract organs themselves. They also play an important role in the health of the reproductive organs for both men and women. The Kidneys govern the processes of growth, development, and aging at all the important stages of life. For example:

• Developmental problems in children, such as slow growth, ADHD, or motor or learning disabilities, often benefit by treatment of the Kidney meridian and by combinations of herbs that target Kidney organ and meridian.

• During the adolescent years, treating the Kidney can be useful in assisting balanced secondary sexual development in both sexes and in regulating the menses of young girls.

• In young and middle-aged adults, conditions as diverse as infertility, menstrual difficulties, PMS, fibroids and endometriosis, recurrent urinary tract infections, blood pressure abnormalities, and more respond to treatment focused on the Kidney (and often on the Liver energetics as well).

• Imbalances during the transitional adult years of menopause and andropause can have innumerable possible presentations, such as hot flashes and bone density loss in women and erectile dysfunction and prostate problems in men. The Kidney and the Water element play key roles in the genesis and resolution of these imbalances.

• And as we age, proper attention to our biological Water element can prevent or minimize conditions such as ringing of the ears, hearing loss, osteoporosis, swelling of the ankles, and memory loss. Chinese medical tradition posits a strong link between the Heart (which is associated with consciousness) and the Kidneys, so healthy aging has the balance between these two organs as one of its key goals.

The Kidneys and the Water element also play a vital role in our emotional lives. Tradition has it that the Kidneys correspond on a positive level to our will power and steadfastness and on a negative level to anxiety and fear. Apathy, loss of “get-up-and-go,” and the type of depression that also has tendencies to anxiety and panic attacks have at least some of their roots in Kidney/Water imbalances.

Ben Franklin’s adage that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” applies to the Confucian roots of Chinese medical thinking as well. How, then, can we preserve the valuable source energies of our Kidneys in a way that will help us age gracefully rather than prematurely?

There are many strategies, but one of the keys lies in moderation. There’s a certain Kidney-related pulse I can feel in patients who have burned the candle at both ends most of their lives, who have tried to achieve wonders by flogging their bodies and straining their stamina without ever allowing themselves enough time for rest, sleep, or leisurely meals with loved ones. I refer to it jocularly as the “Running on Empty” pulse.

You can visualize this syndrome by likening it to a reservoir that has run dry or a carburetor that has overheated. Remember that the Kidneys are the source of energetic “coolness” and moisture in our bodies and minds, and you’ll easily understand why “burnout” and “drying out” are synonyms. Imagine a man with chronically high blood pressure or a perimenopausal woman with intractable hot flashes; everything above the chest is red and hot. In an ideal state of balance, we should have warm feet and a cool head, but when Kidney energies become deficient, the opposite occurs.

So, as we go forward in the New Year, pursue your dreams and goals with gusto, but allow time to rest and reflect, to pray or meditate, and to truly enjoy and be in the moment. Such an approach to life will help you conserve the vital Source that is your Water element.

With thanks and blessings,

Sybil Ihrig, L.Ac., D.O.M.

Lotus Wellspring Healthcare

456 E. Mission Road, Suite 100

San Marcos, CA 92069

(760) 752-9786

lifeforceqi@cox.net SMM

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