Warms and tonifies the Kidney Yang

• Lower back aches and pain
• Weakness in the legs
• A cold sensation in the lower half of the body
• A pale, swollen tongue with a thin, white and moist coating
• An empty or frail pulse that’s submerged and faint at the proximal position

• Shu di (chief) strongly enriches the Kidney Yin and Jing, nourishes Blood and harmonises the Yin Qi.
• Shan Zhu Yu and Shan Yao (deputies) nourish the Liver and Spleen and restrain leakage to stabilise the Kidney Jing.
• Shan Zhu Yu (sour and warm) astringes Jing, nourishes Blood and Yin to soften the Liver, Shan Yao (sweet and bland) strengthens the Spleen, stabilises the Kidneys and nourishes Jing.
• Fu Zi and Gui Zhi (deputies) tonify Kidney Yang, dispel Cold and eliminate Dampness, and Gui Zhi warms and unblocks the channels and benefits joints.
• Together they warm and tonify Kidney Yang and mobilise fluid transformation.
• Ze Xie, Fu Ling and Mu Dan Pi (assistants) regulate the Yin of the Kidneys, Spleen and Liver.
• Ze Xie unblocks and regulates water pathways and prevents the cloying nature of Shu di from congesting the Kidneys.
• Mu Dan Pi clears Heat, cools the Blood, drains Liver Fire, and dispels Blood stasis in concert with Gui Zhi.
• Fu Ling is bland and leaches Dampness and strengthens the Spleen with Shan Yao.
• Fu Ling and Ze Xie work together to unblock and regulate the water pathways to improve fluid metabolism and enable Gui Zhi to warm the Bladder and promote urination.

• Where Fu Zi is unavailable, substitute with Gan Jiang and Rou Gui
• Nocturia: add Wu Wei Zi
• Frequent, copious urination and emaciation: add Bu Gu Zhi and Lu Rong
• Impotence: add Ba Ji Tian, Rou Cong Rong, Suo Yang and Gou Qi Zi
• Oedema of the legs and feet: add Wu Pi Yin (Five-Peel Decoction)
• Painful urination from Cold lodged in the lower Jiao: add Lu Rong and Chen Xiang
• Incontinence or turbid urine from excess cold and bitter herbs: omit Ze Xie and add Wu Wei Zi

• The formula is for Yang deficiency with insufficient Fire at the Gate of Vitality (Ming Men).
• The Kidneys reside in the lower back, govern the bones and are responsible for generating marrow.
• The Kidney channel ascends from the foot to the spine, from which a branch diverges and enters the abdomen.
• The Kidneys are the foundation of prenatal Jing and store Jing, which is transformed into Qi (Kidney (Yuan) Qi); the basis of Yang throughout the body.
• When Kidney Qi is deficient, it is unable to warm the lower Jiao, which causes coldness and tenseness in the lower body.
• Stagnation of fluids causes aching and a pale, swollen tongue with a thin, white, moist coat.
• Kidney Yang deficiency creates an empty or frail pulse that’s submerged and faint at the proximal (Kidney) position.
• If the Kidneys are unable to transform Qi and move water, it can cause urinary difficulty and oedema.
• If the water and Qi rebel upwards, it will cause panting and irritability, making lying down difficult, with a tendency to lean on things for support.
• With the appropriate presentation, the formula may be used for chronic glomerular, interstitial or diffuse nephritis, diabetes mellitus, primary hyperaldosteronism, hypothyroidism, neurasthenia, arthritis, beriberi and chronic bronchial asthma.

Contraindicated in Yin deficiency with a dry mouth and throat and a red tongue with little coating.

Warms and tonifies the Kidney Yang, replenishes the Jing, tonifies the Blood

• Exhaustion from long-term illness
• Aversion to the cold, coldness of the extremities
• Impotence, spermatorrhea, infertility
• Aching and weakness of the lower back and knees
• Loose stools (which may contain undigested food)
• Incontinence
• Oedema of the lower limbs
• A pale, swollen tongue with a thin, white and moist coating
• An empty or frail pulse that’s submerged and faint at the proximal position

• Fu Zi, Rou Gui and Lu Jiao Jiao (chiefs) warm and tonify Kidney Yang and Lu Jiao Jiao nourishes Jing and the marrow.
• Shu di Huang, Shan Zhu Yu, Gou Qi Zi, Shan Yao, Tu Si Zi and Du Zhong (deputies) nourish the Yin to benefit the Kidneys, and nourish the Liver and Spleen.
• Shu di (sweet and warm) nourishes the Kidney Yin and nourishes Blood.
• Shan Zhu Yu and Shan Yao tonify the Liver and Spleen to supplement Jing and Blood.
• Gou Qi Zi, Tu Si Zi and Du Zhong nourish and tonify the Liver and Kidneys and treat lower back pain and weakness.
• Dang Gui (assistant) tonifies the Liver Blood.

• Where Fu Zi is unavailable, substitute with Gan Jiang and Rou Gui
• Yang and Qi deficiency: add Ren Shen 60-90g
• Nocturia: add Wu Wei Zi
• Yang deficiency with spermatorrhoea, turbid leukorrhea and/or pasty stools: add Bu Gu Zhi
• Impotence: add Ba Ji Tian, Rou Cong Rong
• Incessant Kidney diarrhoea: add Wu Wei Zi and Rou Dou Kou
• Reduced appetite, nausea, and acid regurgitation due to Stomach and Spleen Cold and Yang deficiency: add Gan Jiang
• Incessant abdominal pain: add Wu Zhu Yu
• Other Yang tonics: add Ba Ji Tian (10-15), Xian Mao (6): use with caution as very hot and slightly toxic, as is She Chuang Zi (3).
• Tiredness: add Huang Qi (12).
• Loose stools/cold uterus: add Bu Gu Zhi (5-10), Yi Zhi Ren (3-10), Chao Bai Zhu (5-15).
• Blood stagnation with a pale, mauve tongue: add Hong Hua (3-10), Tao Ren (6-10).
• Phlegm-Damp with a pale swollen tongue + sticky coat: add Shi Chang Pu (5-10), Cang Zhu (5-10).
• Scanty menses: increase the Blood tonics and add Huai Niu Xi (10-15), Ze Lan (10-15).

• For Kidney Yang deficiency with insufficient Fire at the Gate of Vitality.
• This is an adaptation of Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan with greater Yang tonifying herbs and action and removal of draining herbs (Fu Ling, Mu Dan Pi and Ze Xie).
• This is the main formula for treating Kidney Yang deficiency with Jing and Blood deficiency and is typically used for the elderly and in cases of chronic illness.
• The formula is designed to ‘increase the source of Fire by firming up the source Yang of the right Kidney’ – by tonifying ‘the Yang within Yin’.
• The Kidneys reside in the lower back, govern the bones and generate marrow.
• The Kidneys are the foundation of prenatal Jing and store Jing, which is transformed into Qi (Kidney ‘Yuan‘ Qi); the basis of Yang throughout the body.
• When Kidney Qi is deficient, it is unable to warm the lower Jiao and Spleen, causing coldness and tenseness in the lower body.
• Kidney Yang deficiency causes impotence, spermatorrhea, infertility, aching and weakness of the lower back and knees.
• Kidney Yang deficiency creates an empty or frail pulse that’s submerged and faint at the proximal (Kidney) position.

Contraindicated in Yin deficiency with a dry mouth and throat and a red tongue with little coating.