The majority of sexual problems in males are functional. If you are a middle-aged man who was once sexually active, but suddenly find your performance declining and even becoming very poor – don’t be concerned. Your best course is to seek help from a practitioner of natural medicine, or Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). From my clinical experience, I have found that TCM treatments produce the best results.

Chinese medicine attributes sexual dysfunction to the decline of kidney energy. Kidney energy is considered to be “fire at the gate of life”. It is the primary energy meridian supporting sexual function. Other organs and meridians associated with sexual dysfunction are heart, spleen and liver.

Some patients ask me: “Why have I become so irritable, angry and fat? I used to sleep like a log, and now I am restless all night long.”
The reason why these men become irritable and angry and gain weight is usually the result of an unhealthy lifestyle. They are generally under considerable stress from work, as well as having to deal with financial pressures, relationship pressures, and the pressures of life itself.

Because they are busy, they eat on the run – often consuming grease-laden, nutrient-poor, fast food. They drink too much coffee, which is a stimulant, or alcohol, which damages the liver. They are not happy, so make poor lifestyle choices. When liver energy is depleted, they become angry and irritable. Poor liver function depletes digestive function (stomach and spleen). This depletes the essence: the blood, which in turns depletes kidney function. When the kidney function is depleted, so is the heart function.

I have found 40 per cent of male sexual dysfunction cases can be attributed to psychological reasons. These men usually have a condition called Live Qi Stagnation. They come from families which do not have a harmonious and happy relationship. Their clinical symptoms are bad temper, depression, irritability, bloated stomach, pain under ribs, shortness of breath, as well as the inability to achieve or sustain an erection.

Some men can also have a condition called Kidney Deficiency. These men may have a pale complexion and thin build. Their sexual function is weakened due to some physical or emotional trauma such as an accident. Their clinical symptoms are insomnia, nightmares, premature ejaculation, impotence, palpitations, weak back, feeling of cold and tiredness.

Other causes of sexual dysfunction are pathological. These patients usually have pathological disease such as neurological damage, long term abuse of alcohol or long term use of certain drugs, including prescription, lumbar disk degeneration, pituitary tumour, thyroid disease, prostate condition, hypertension, cancer, severe diabetes, and tuberculosis.

Patients with the above conditions are mostly treatable. Some men seek help from me after ten years of suffering. The key is to seek treatments as soon as possible. Sometimes, sexual dysfunction can be temporary due to a sudden change in life circumstance such as a change in partner, job or house; bankruptcy; death of a loved one; and other such stressful events. If this is not addressed promptly, the condition can become chronic. Some patients feel too ashamed to seek help; this can lead to their becoming psychologically depressed. Depression will make the physical condition worse, thus creating a vicious cycle.

Chinese men drink tonic soup regularly. There are many excellent herbs that enhance sexual function by tonifying or rescuing kidney energy. I do not recommend home treatment, because it is easy to over-dose or under-dose with these herbs, neither of which is good.

TCM practitioners treat each patient according to the differentiation of symptoms. The combination of herbs and acupuncture produces the most effective results. Some of my patients are astonished at how successful these treatments are. One man, who had been impotent for ten years, had tears in his eyes when he said to me: “Thank you for giving me back my life.” When he walked out of my clinic that day, he was singing!

So, if you are experiencing some kind of sexual dysfunction, be assured that you don’t have to live in despair. Do not take stimulants, and do not ignore the problem and hope it will get better.

Here are some suggestions that will help prevent sexual dysfunction developing:

Do not indulge in excessive sexual activity
Do not over-indulge in alcohol
Avoid excessive use of drugs
Lead a healthy lifestyle
Build relaxation time into every day
Create a loving, harmonious relationship with your partner and your family
Avoid deep-fried, greasy food
This article was first published in the magazine “Nature and Health”

Contact us now for professional guidance.