Erectile Dysfunction Case
A 50-year-old man came to our clinic complaining of fatigue, stress, vertigo, and erectile dysfunction. All four symptoms had developed over the past few years, slowly worsening over time. He was happily married with two children, had a demanding job, worked too hard, and did not get enough sleep. This erectile dysfunction case discusses how acupuncture improved all of his symptoms, which improved her quality of life and health.
The Frustration of ED
While ED won’t kill you, it is undoubtedly frustrating. It’s one thing to lose sexual function if you’re 82, but for a 50-year-old, it’s unacceptable. You do everything right – work hard, provide for your family, take relatively good care of yourself, and then lose an ability you thought you’d have forever. Sure, there are medications to “mask” the condition, but the problem is still looming in the back of your mind.
There are many variations and shades of dysfunction – difficulty sustaining an erection, inability to have an orgasm, and lack of sexual interest (libido). Our patient in this erectile dysfunction case had all three problems, and they were driving him crazy.
The first thing to know about acupuncture is that the secret to its success lies in how we tackle the diagnosis and treatment of disease. We always search for and treat the underlying root issue responsible for the condition. So, what was our patient’s root issue? Let’s take a look at the facts.
Tongue & Pulse Reveal Root Causes
His tongue had scalloped edges, indicating spleen deficiency. Think of spleen deficiency as weak digestion. At the same time, his pulse was thin and wiry, an interesting pulse quality because it combines deficiency and excess.
The following two clues, his fatigue and stress, helped solve the mystery of his pulse. A thin pulse indicates fatigue stemming from poor digestion. The wiry aspect of his pulse reflected stress, pointing to an imbalance of liver qi stagnation. Stress was weakening his digestion, causing fatigue. Our patient’s vertigo resulted from phlegm accumulation in the head, particularly the ears, also attributed to spleen deficiency.
Finally, his erectile dysfunction was rooted in kidney deficiency, as the kidneys rule most aspects of sexual function in the body. But to treat the kidneys, we also had to address the spleen and liver imbalances. His Chinese medicine pattern imbalance was ED due to kidney essence deficiency and liver/spleen disharmony.
ED Treatment Plan
Since our treatment strategy in this erectile dysfunction case was to nourish the kidneys, strengthen the spleen, and relieve liver stagnation, we selected the following acupoints: KD3, CV4, ST36, CV12, LV3, PC6, GV20, and Yintang. In addition, we prescribed the Chinese herbal formula Jin Gui Shen Qi Pian to gently nourish Kidney yin and yang.
Our patient was feeling better in all areas within four treatments – he estimated a 30 percent improvement. After eight sessions, acupuncture had resolved his vertigo, he had 80 percent less stress and fatigue, and his ED was 50 percent improved in all areas. At this point, he stopped his Chinese herbs and started maintenance acupuncture treatments once a month to sustain the improvements in his health. Over the next six months, his ED symptoms continued to improve slowly, leveling off at 75 percent better.
Acupuncture Improves Erectile Dysfunction
Not all cases of ED respond positively to acupuncture – outcomes depend on the patient’s presentation. We won’t treat someone unless we believe they have a chance at improving. And we typically will stop treatment if they don’t see any improvement within four sessions. Normally, if you start to respond within the first four treatments, you will continue to improve.
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What our Clients are Saying
I’m 56 years old, a recent new dad. So I was surprised when I started having trouble with ED. When I mentioned it to my acupuncturist he said it could be treated with acupuncture. I let him go at it. He asked if I was getting less sleep with the new baby. I said, like hardly no sleep for the past 12 months. He asked if my hair was getting grayer recently. I said, just look and see for yourself. He said my sudden ED was from the stress on my body from lack of sleep and still having to work my full time job, and all the other things associated with having a new baby. My 56 year old body was not cut out to take this on without giving me a little trouble!
So he treated me to make my kidneys stronger, and it really worked. My ED slowly improved over the next three months. I felt stronger too. I’m very grateful to Raleigh Acupuncture for helping me. I’m too young to deal with this.
I had just returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan. When I got home I was not able to get an erection. I’m in my mid-thirties, happily married. This had never happened to me before. However, my last tour was hell, and I had been having nightmares. My wife suggested I try acupuncture. The doctor at Raleigh Acupuncture said my ED was caused by the stress of my last tour. He gave me three treatments and I was good as new. What a relief! And the nightmares stopped as well. I had no idea stress could have that effect on my body. Thank you for your professionalism and good work.
