Western medicine looks at menopause and andropause, sees the falling hormone levels, and intervenes to replace the declining hormones, essentially fooling the body into thinking that it is younger. In contrast, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) looks at the changes occurring at this time as a natural progression and works to help establish a comfortable balance within the new parameters. In this model the Kidney, which is home to the ancestral energy or Jing, the life force, and the ability to reproduce, is the key player. The Kidney essence, which incorporates both the yin and the yang, has declined.

Often the decline of the yin and the yang are not equal; the dynamic balance between the two primary energies is disturbed and symptoms result. The classic textbook example is that the yin (the cool, moistening, nourishing, containing aspect) has been relatively more exhausted by a lifetime of stress, lack of sleep, childbirth, menses, too much sex (guys), and bad lifestyle choices – excessive drinking, smoking. In its depleted state, the yin is unable to contain and balance its partner the yang (the warming, moving, protective, active aspect). Consequently the yang seems to flair out of control, producing heat symptoms, harassing the heart (anxiety/irritability) and disturbing the sleep.

The treatment for such a situation is two-fold: 1) address the symptoms that arise because of the imbalance (hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, irritability …), and 2) address the imbalance itself by tonifying the yin aspect, thus allowing the system to re-balance. Another strategy is to look at the factors which prevent the body from re-balancing itself – most commonly stagnation of energy and blood (contributing causes for ED?) – and to address this factor to create a better environment for the yin and yang to re-balance organically.