Clinically used Chinese medicines that have the effect of tonifying the kidneys and strengthening the yang are deer antler, Cistanchis, Ba Ji Tian, etc. They should be selected reasonably according to the patient’s condition and physique, and the therapeutic effect varies from person to person, so it is difficult to judge purely which kind of medicine has a better effect.
1. Deer antler: sweet, salty and warm in nature. It belongs to the kidney and liver meridians. It is effective in strengthening kidney yang, benefiting essence and blood, strengthening the bones and muscles, regulating the Chong Ren, and supporting sores and poisons. It can be used for kidney yang deficiency, essence and blood deficiency, impotence and spermatorrhea, infertility, lethargy, fatigue, fear of cold, dizziness, tinnitus, deafness, lumbar and spinal cold pain, muscle and bone pain and weak, leakage of menstruation (menstruation with excessive amount or more than a few drops) with subluxation.
2. Cistanchis: sweet, salty, warm, belongs to the kidney and large intestine meridians. Its effects include tonifying kidney yang, benefiting essence and blood, moistening the intestines and relaxing the bowels. It can be used for deficiency of kidney yang and constipation. Yin deficiency and fire and loose stool (feces thin not shaped) diarrhea should not be taken; solid heat in the stomach and intestines, hot constipation should not be used.
3. Morinda citrifolia: sweet, pungent, slightly warm, kidney, liver meridian. Efficacy for tonifying kidney yang, strong muscles and bones, dispel wind-dampness. Can be used for kidney yang deficiency, wind-dampness paralysis. It should not be used if there is deficiency of yin and fire, or if there is dampness or heat.
If medication is needed, it should be done under the guidance of a Chinese medicine practitioner, and should not be used blindly on its own to avoid adverse consequences.