All the organ systems are equally important in keeping the body in balance, but, for an acupuncturist, Kidney (in an Eastern Medical sense) takes precedence in the assessment of a patient.
This is because Kidney is considered as the source of our vitality, controls Yin/Yang balance, plays an important role in reproduction, etc. The list goes on. When I say Kidney, it indicates a whole functional system that includes the kidneys, adrenal glands, and the hormonal functions that the kidneys and the adrenal glands are involved in.
Healthy Kidney should support our will (精志, Sei Shi in Japanese and Jing Zhi in Chinese). It is the will to survive and thrive. It follows that the Kidney Deficiency signs include lethargy, fatigue, forgetfulness, being fearful and easily startled.
Chinese Medical classics say that extreme fear injures Kidney, but it is rarely seen in the modern clinical setting. When it comes to Kidney deficiency cases, what most acupuncturists see in the clinics are what we call “adrenal fatigue” and age-related deficiencies.
A likely scenario would be this:
A woman is under constant stress from work. She is middle-aged, and the responsibilities at work and home are enormous. She has difficulty sleeping or sleeps too much on weekends. Lately, she feels like she lacks the will to do anything new or fun. Additionally, she has been having back pain and a low libido.
Typically, Kidney issues are treated with acupuncture and tonic herbal formulas. Although acupuncture is great for addressing the symptoms, it takes a little bit of time to fix the root cause of Kidney Deficiency. The treatment would be regular, maintenance-type sessions. Since it takes some time, it would be a great opportunity for the clients to evaluate their lifestyles and adjust their priorities.
*Individual results may vary.
