Deficiency of the Liver and Kidney Yin
The information provided here is not a replacement for a doctor. You shouldn't use it for the purpose of self-diagnosing or self-medicating but rather so you can have a more informed discussion with a professional TCM practitioner.
At a glance
Preliminary reading: What is a pattern?
Diagnosis
Common symptoms: Insomnia Dry mouth Dizziness Hair loss Sore knees and seven other symptoms
Tongue color: Red
Treatment
Common formulas: Er Zhi Wan
Pathology
Deficiency of the Liver and Kidney Yin is a pattern of disharmony in Chinese Medicine.
Chinese Medicine views the human body as a complex system that tends toward harmony. A pattern of disharmony is a disorder that prevents that harmony from occurring.
Patterns give rise to symptoms that may at first glance seem unrelated from a Western standpoint but that actually make a lot of sense when one understands Chinese Medicine theory. For instance here Deficiency of the Liver and Kidney Yin gives rise to such diverse symptoms as sore knees, soreness and weakness in the lower back, weak knees and dry mouth (as well as eight others).
To diagnose a pattern, analyzing a patient's pulse as well as their tongue is common practice. In the case of Deficiency of the Liver and Kidney Yin patients tend to exhibit a red tongue.
Patterns aren't exactly the Chinese Medicine equivalent to Western diseases, they're rather the underlying causes behind diseases or health conditions. Here Deficiency of the Liver and Kidney Yin is thought to sometimes induce conditions such as insomnia or hemorrhage.
Diagnosing Deficiency of the Liver and Kidney Yin
Diagnosing a pattern in Chinese Medicine is no easy feat and should be left to professional practitioners. In particular one has to know how to differentiate between different types of pulses and tongue coatings, shapes and colors as well as learn to read from a long list of seemingly unrelated symptoms.
Tongue color: Red
Main symptoms: Insomnia Dry mouth Dizziness Hair loss Sore knees Weak knees Dry tongue Hair Graying Blurred vision Dream disturbed sleep Spontaneous and nocturnal emissions Soreness and weakness in the lower back
Treating Deficiency of the Liver and Kidney Yin
Herbal formulas used to treat Deficiency of the Liver and Kidney Yin
Er Zhi Wan
Source date: 1534 AD
Number of ingredients: 2 herbs
Key actions: Nourishes Liver Yin. Nourishes Kidney Yin.
Formula summary
Er Zhi Wan is a 2-ingredient Chinese Medicine formula. Invented in 1534 AD, it belongs to the category of formulas that nourish Yin and tonify.
Besides Deficiency of the Liver and Kidney Yin, Er Zhi Wan is also used to treat Kidney Yin Deficiency or Kidney-Deficiency.