Patient's question:
My wife was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and has been treated in the hospital for a long time without improvement. The doctor said that if the condition is not cured, she won't be able to get pregnant and have children. She is very anxious. She has been taking Western medicine for half a year, and her friend told her that she could try taking some traditional Chinese medicine, which has no side effects.Doctor's answer:
Hello! While Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has multifaceted understandings of irregular menstruation and infertility caused by Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), it fundamentally attributes these issues to insufficient kidney qi. TCM theory records: "At the age of seven, a woman's kidney qi becomes strong, her teeth replace, and her hair grows; at the age of fourteen, the 'Tiangei' (menstrual fluid) arrives, the Ren meridian becomes unobstructed, the Tai Chong meridian is full, and menstruation occurs timely, allowing her to bear children." It is also stated that "the (Chong Ren) meridians originate from the () (uterus), and are affiliated to the liver and kidney," and that "the kidney stores essence, which generates marrow, and the brain is the sea of marrow." The kidney is also described as "storing will, being the organ of strength, and where skills originate," and that "fear harms the kidney." Therefore, the kidney is not only related to reproductive functions regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis but also to the development of other parts of the body, including the brain, and is influenced by factors such as thoughts, emotions, and the environment. Thus, both internal and external factors can affect menstrual regulation through the kidney. Additionally, according to the TCM concept of "" (liver and kidney share the same origin), in some patients with menstrual disorders, apart from insufficient kidney qi, symptoms of liver qi stagnation transforming into fire are also observed. PCOS also exhibits symptoms such as obesity and ovarian enlargement. According to TCM theory, insufficient kidney qi cannot evaporate fluids in the lower part of the body, leading to the accumulation of phlegm masses, which aligns with the diagnostic pattern of kidney deficiency and phlegm accumulation.The Tong Yang (Dredging and Nourishing) therapy is a classic infertility treatment at Guangzhou Renai Hospital, highly praised by patients over the past decade. This therapy combines the essence of TCM with the highlights of Western medicine, regulating deficiencies and coldness, and comprehensively and effectively balancing the endocrine systems of infertile men and women.