Symptom families: Urinary Tract Infections and Inflammations, Prostate issues
Parent symptom: Prostatitis
Acute prostatitis is a sudden and severe inflammation of the prostate gland, typically caused by a bacterial infection. This condition can lead to symptoms such as painful urination, difficulty in passing urine, pelvic pain, and sometimes flu-like symptoms including fever and chills.
It's a condition that can affect men of all ages and, if diagnosed quickly, is usually responsive to treatment. Acute prostatitis is a distinct form of prostatitis that requires immediate medical attention to prevent further complications.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perceives acute prostatitis not as an isolated infection but as a symptom of an underlying imbalance within the body's energetic system. According to TCM, the condition may arise from patterns of disharmony such as Damp-Heat in the Lower Burner or Blood Stagnation affecting the prostate.
Recognizing and treating the specific disharmony is critical in TCM, as it is believed that restoring the body's natural energy flow can alleviate the symptoms and address the root cause of acute prostatitis.
In TCM, acute prostatitis is often understood as a consequence of specific patterns of disharmony, with Blood Stagnation being one of the primary causes. This can lead to the painful and obstructive symptoms characteristic of the condition.
Another common pattern associated with acute prostatitis is Damp-Heat, which can cause inflammation and contribute to the urgency and discomfort during urination. TCM treatments focus on resolving these imbalances, typically through methods that invigorate Blood and clear Heat, to alleviate the acute symptoms of prostatitis.
For the treatment of acute prostatitis, TCM turns to formulas that invigorate Blood and address Blood Stagnation. An example is Di Dang Tang, which includes Leeches (Shui Zhi) as a potent herb to break up Blood Stagnation and improve circulation.
This helps in reducing the inflammation and pain associated with acute prostatitis. The selection of such formulas is based on a careful assessment of the patient's specific patterns, ensuring a targeted approach to restore balance and promote healing.
See more details below about Di Dang Tang, a herbal formula used to address acute prostatitis.
Acute prostatitis can be treated by these formulas if it arises from poor blood circulation or stagnation of blood, which often manifests in pain or swelling.
One such formula is Di Dang Tang, with leech as a key herb.
Explore below some TCM herbs used to address acute prostatitis, organized by herb category.
Acute prostatitis can be treated by these herbs when it stems from stagnation or poor circulation of blood, helping to improve blood flow and alleviate related discomfort.
One such herb is Leeches (Shui Zhi), a key herb in some formulas recommended for acute prostatitis, like Di Dang Tang.
Other herbs of this category are listed in the table below.
Herb | Formulas they belong to (if applicable) |
---|---|
Leeches (Shui Zhi) | Di Dang Tang |
Tabanus Horseflies (Meng Chong) | Di Dang Tang |