Today let’s talk about an issue that troubles many men—yang qi not flowing and the zongjin not rising. What can be done? Don’t worry, Dr. Zhang has a tip for you; traditional Chinese medicine has one trick to help restore your “stiffness”!

Many people, when faced with male health problems, immediately think of tonifying the kidney, assuming kidney deficiency is the root of all problems. But things aren’t that simple. It’s like a road: if it’s blocked, no matter how many cars there are they can’t move quickly, right? Some people aren’t deficient; the “road” is blocked, yang qi can’t pass, the corpus cavernosum doesn’t get nourishment, and naturally it won’t “rise.”

I once treated a patient like this: a man in his thirties who complained of having the desire but no strength. He had tried every remedy, taken many tonic medicines, even used fast-acting drugs, but nothing worked and he actually became hotter (developed internal heat). Besides dysfunction in that area, he was sensitive to cold, had cold extremities, lost interest in everything, had frequent urination and often got up at night. At first he thought it was kidney yang deficiency, so he took Guifu Dihuang Wan, but as soon as he took it he developed heat.

On careful questioning I found that his condition was not only kidney deficiency but also had signs of liver qi stagnation. Since the problem began he had been depressed all day, his marital relationship was affected, and with high work stress his tongue sides became swollen. Considering all these symptoms together, his condition was primarily liver qi stagnation with secondary kidney deficiency.

In TCM, the liver governs the free flow (of qi) and is responsible for the movement of qi and also governs the zongjin (ancestral sinews). Once liver qi is constrained, qi circulation becomes like a traffic jam; qi and blood cannot pass, and the corpora cavernosa therefore cannot “rise.” The same applies to tonics: if they cannot pass they become stuck in the body and easily generate heat.

So for a case like his you cannot only tonify the kidneys; you must first unblock the “road.” I used Chaihu Shugan San to soothe the liver and relieve depression, letting qi circulation become smooth first. Then I helped replenish the depleted kidney essence. After several courses of treatment, he has now returned to normal.

So, male friends, if you experience any functional problems, don't blindly take kidney tonics. Seek medical attention promptly; only after accurate syndrome differentiation will targeted treatment be effective. Remember this: the road must be clear for the car to run fast!