Kidney qi deficiency pattern refers to a general term for the symptoms of reduced function governed by the kidney due to the deficiency and decline of original qi in the kidney. It is mostly caused by congenital insufficiency, excessive strain, prolonged illness affecting the kidney, and other reasons.

The main clinical manifestations include: hearing loss, deafness, dizziness, soreness and weakness of the waist and knees, frequent urination at night, spermatorrhea, premature ejaculation, pale tongue with white coating, and a thin and weak pulse.

Kidney qi deficiency pattern is commonly seen in diseases such as "tinnitus, deafness," "deficiency fatigue," "lumbago," "impotence," "seminal emission," and "vertigo."

This syndrome should usually be differentiated from "kidney-yang deficiency pattern," "kidney qi insecurity pattern," and "pattern of kidney failing to receive qi."

bubble_chart Differentiation and Treatment

Kidney qi deficiency pattern

1. when it appears in lumbago, manifests as sore and weak lumbago, continuous and unending, weakness in the legs and knees, worsening with overwork, and alleviation when lying down. It is mostly caused by prolonged illness, old age, sexual overindulgence, and other factors leading to the deficiency of kidney qi. The "Suwen‧Maiyao Jingwei Lun states: "The waist is the residence of the kidneys; if it cannot turn and shake, the kidneys will be exhausted." Treatment should focus on tonifying the kidneys and strengthening the waist, with the prescription selection being the Young Maid Pill(Taiping Huimin Heji Jufang) combined with the Left-Restoring Pill(Jingyue Quanshu).
2. If kidney qi deficiency pattern appears in diseases such as tinnitus, deafness, and vertigo, symptoms such as tinnitus, deafness, dizziness, blurred vision, mental fatigue, and soreness and weakness in the waist may be observed. The kidneys govern the ears; kidney deficiency leads to a failure to nourish the ears, resulting in hearing loss. Zhang Jing-yue said: "There is no dizziness without deficiency," kidney deficiency leads to water deficiency and wood shaking, hence vertigo. Treatment should focus on tonifying the kidneys and regulating deficiency, with the prescription selection being Zuoci's Deafness Pill(Xiao'er Yaozheng Zhijue) or the Right-Restoring Pill(Jingyue Quanshu) and the like.
3. If kidney qi deficiency pattern is seen in impotence and seminal emission, symptoms such as male sexual dysfunction, seminal emission, premature ejaculation, decreased libido, mental fatigue, limb weakness, and dizziness may be observed, mostly caused by excessive indulgence in sexual activities and kidney damage due to sexual overindulgence. The prescription selection is the Megalosaurus Pill(《Medical Comprehensive》) and the Golden Semen-Securing Pill(Yifang Jijie).
4. If kidney qi deficiency pattern is seen in deficiency fatigue, symptoms such as dizziness, tinnitus, hearing loss, soreness and weakness in the waist and knees, and frequent urination at night may be observed. Treatment should focus on powerful tonification of primordial qi, with the prescription being the Great Life-Endowing Pill(Yifang Jijie citing Wu Qiu's formula).

bubble_chart Differentiation of Similar Patterns

1. Kidney-yang deficiency pattern and kidney qi deficiency pattern: Both syndromes belong to kidney deficiency, and their clinical manifestations are very similar. However, kidney qi deficiency pattern is a subset of kidney-yang deficiency pattern, and kidney yang deficiency develops from kidney qi deficiency. The disease causes of both syndromes are basically the same, such as congenital insufficiency, or gradual decline of kidney qi with age, or prolonged illness affecting the kidneys, or excessive strain depleting kidney essence. They also share common symptoms and signs, such as the kidneys governing the ears, so kidney deficiency leads to tinnitus and hearing loss; the waist being the residence of the kidneys, so insufficient kidney qi causes soreness and weakness in the lower back and knees; the kidneys controlling urination and defecation, so kidney deficiency leads to bladder incontinence, resulting in frequent urination at night, seminal emission, etc. The difference is that kidney qi deficiency pattern has not yet reached the level of damage to yang, so it generally does not present with yang deficiency cold signs such as fear of cold, cold limbs, pale complexion, white tongue coating, and slow pulse, which can be used for differentiation.
2. Kidney qi insecurity pattern and kidney qi deficiency pattern: Both syndromes involve the mechanism of kidney qi deficiency. The difference lies in the fact that kidney qi insecurity pattern is caused by internal damage or prolonged illness, which harms kidney qi. The kidneys dominate qi transformation and store essence, so kidney qi deficiency leads to failure in qi transformation, and kidney qi insecurity leads to leakage of yin essence. Therefore, clinical manifestations may include frequent urination or enuresis, especially at night, or spermatorrhea, premature ejaculation, and clear leukorrhea. Due to kidney qi deficiency and insufficiency, there must be a pale tongue texture and a deep, thin pulse, especially a weak chi pulse. Renzhai Zhizhi Fang states: "When both the kidneys and bladder are deficient, and internal qi is insufficient, the bladder becomes slippery on its own, leading to frequent and white discharge, especially at night, which worsens yin deficiency." It also says: "When the lower energizer is deficient and cold, it cannot warm and control water fluids, leading to incontinence." It is evident that kidney qi insecurity pattern primarily manifests with lower energizer symptoms and rarely presents with upper energizer symptoms of clear yang failing to rise. However, kidney qi deficiency pattern is different, as it not only includes symptoms of kidney qi insecurity such as frequent nighttime urination and spermatorrhea/premature ejaculation, but also symptoms of kidney qi failing to warm and nourish the brain marrow, such as vertigo, tinnitus, and deafness. In comparison, kidney qi insecurity pattern has more prominent and severe lower energizer symptoms.
3. Pattern of kidney failing to receive qi and kidney qi deficiency pattern: Pattern of kidney failing to receive qi is mostly caused by overexertion damaging the kidneys, or after a severe illness, kidney qi becomes dispersed, or prolonged coughing and wheezing damage the lungs and affect the kidneys. The kidneys govern qi reception, and when the original qi of the kidneys is injured, qi loses its ability to hold and absorb, leading to rebellious rising of qi and resulting in wheezing. Clinical manifestations include shortness of breath, inability to catch one's breath, more exhalation than inhalation, worsening wheezing upon exertion, and in severe cases, sweating, cold limbs, bluish complexion, and purple lips. The mechanism of kidney qi deficiency pattern is limited to the weakness of the original qi of the organ itself, without the symptoms of original qi failing to hold and rising to oppress the lungs, causing coughing and wheezing.

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bubble_chart Documentation

1. Lingshu-Benshen: "The kidney stores essence, essence harmonizes will, deficiency of kidney qi leads to aversion, excess leads to distension."
2. Zhongcang Jing: "Difficulty in urination and defecation, normal diet, heavy sensation in the waist and feet, pain in the umbilical and abdominal regions, upon palpation of the left and right hands, the chi pulse is deep and rough, indicating lower excess; difficulty in urination and defecation, fluctuating appetite, heavy sensation in the waist and feet as if sitting in water, difficulty in walking, rising qi rushing upwards, dangerous dreams, upon palpation of the left and right chi pulse, the pulse is slippery and rough, indicating lower deficiency."