Acupuncture, in combination with Chinese Herbs, has been applied to help with different types of genitourinary (aka urogenital) system diseases, including but not limited to the following.

Infection of the Urinary Tract

Infection of the urinary tract refers to inflammation of mucus or tissues of the urinary tract due to the growth and multiplication of pathogenic bacteria in the urinary tract. This disease is manifested by frequent, urgent and painful urination, or accompanied by lumbago and fever. It is usually seen in women. This disease is similar to “stranguria” and “dysuria” in Chinese Medicine. This disease involves the bladder and kidney, also relating to the spleen. It is caused by the accumulation of damp heat in the lower jiao and disturbance of the bladder in qi transformation due to exogenous contraction or internal injury, which usually belongs to the excess syndrome. The protracted course of the disease may develop into the syndrome of coexistence of deficiency and excess or transformation from excess to deficiency.

Lithangiuria

Lithangiuria refers to the formation and retention of crystal mass in the urinary system. According to the location of the stone, this disease is divided into kidney stones and ureteral stones. It is clinically characterized by paroxysmal colic in the loin or lower abdomen, dysuria and hematuria. This disease belongs to the categories of “sand stranguria”, “stone stranguria” and “bleeding stranguria” of stranguria disease in Chinese Medicine. The location of the disease is in the kidney and bladder of the lower jiao, also related to the liver and spleen. It is usually caused by the stagnancy of heat in the bladder, deficiency of kidney qi, or obstruction of qi activity, leading to unsmoothness of the lower jiao. It belongs to the excess syndrome in the early stage, while the protracted duration will develop into deficiency syndrome or syndrome of coexisting deficiency and excess.

Urinary Retention

Urinary retention refers to a condition that urine fills out the bladder and can not be discharged. This disease is manifested by difficulty or even failure in urination It is clinically divided into acute and chronic patterns, according to the disease condition. It is similar to “uroschesis”, especially “ischuria” in Chinese Medicine. The location of this disease is in the kidney and bladder and involves the liver and spleen. Longbi can usually be caused by various factors resulting in accumulation of damp heat, obstruction by stagnancy, failure of the liver to smooth flow of qi, deficiency of kidney qi or middle-jiao qi, leading to disturbance in qi transformation of the bladder.

Prostatitis

Prostatitis is a common disease of the urinary system in men. It is divided as acute type and chronic type. Acute prostatitis is mainly manifested by urinary irritation symptoms, terminal hematuria and pain in the perineum. Chronic prostatitis is mainly manifested by delayed urination, dripping after urination, or discharge of white liquor prostaticus; or leading to spermatorrhea, premature ejaculation and impotence. This disease is similar to “stranguria”, “spermatorrhea”, “gonorrhea and semen in urine” in Chinese Medicine. It is mostly caused by exogenous contraction of damp-toxin, excessive drinking, preference for spicy and greasy foods, or sexual intemperance leading to internal production of deficiency heat, hence the retention of damp heat in the lower jiao. The disease is excessive in the branch; it may develop into a deficiency of liver and kidney yin, and deficiency of spleen and kidney yang after a long, further leading to qi stagnancy and blood stasis manifested by deficiency of the root or coexistence of deficiency and excess.

Sexual Dysfunction of Men

Sexual dysfunction in men mainly includes erectile disorder of the penis and defective ejaculation. It is usually manifested by spermatorrhea, prospermia, impotence, no spermatism, and hypoactive sexual desire. In Chinese Medicine, this disease is believed to be caused by overanxiety, or indulgence in sexual life leading to disharmony between the heart and kidney, and insufficiency of water with hyperactivity of fire; or preference for greasy and pungent foods which results in the stagnancy of dampness and generation of heat leading to disturbance of semen chamber; or downward attack of damp-heat in the liver and kidney, leading to a slackening of the penis; or deficiency of kidney qi failing to control semen, and with consequent erectile dysfunction.