Yin Yang Huo, Acupuncture and Erectile Dysfunction

Testosterone has a wide normal range: from 300 to 900. 80 years old can have testosterone around 500, while the 20 years old can have 350. Impotence is not just associated with the testosterone level. The function of nerves and blood vessels can also play important roles. Physically active men tend to have a strong erection and healthier blood vessels and nerves if they have a healthy diet. I treated a man who had gone through so many surgeries for the varicose veins in the lower abdominal areas, also had lower testosterone level, but he ate very healthy food and could still have normal erections. On the other hands, for some men who consumed just one glass of alcohol and one small piece of cookie every day, the functions of their nerves and blood vessels were compromised. They tend to develop aneurism, neuropathy and high cholesterol. If they take blood pressure medication at the same time, they tend to have erectile dysfunction and urine retention, especially after prostate surgery. With Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture, we can lower their blood sugar level, reduce the visceral fat, and help their body produce more growth hormones and testosterone. Those kidney-tonifying herbs are especially helpful in building stronger muscles and maintaining higher level of testosterone. Yin Yang Huo is one of the herbs which can help men improved their sexual function. I used Yin Yang Huo to help woman and men to balance their hormones.

Yin Yang Huo (horny goat weed, Herba Epimedium in Latin) has other good effects on improving your joint function, opening the channels and expelling wind cold for arthritis and joint pain. Some company made Yin Yang Huo tablet for men, which is not a healthy way to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). Yin Yang Huo is warm in quality. It can make the body produce too much heat if not used with other balancing herbs. In Chinese medicine, we put different herbs together to reduce their side effects and enhance their therapeutic effects. If a man takes too much Yin Yang Huo, he can potentially damage his kidney Yin, which can cause inflammation in the prostate, urinary tract infection and even premature ejaculation. In the cases of impotence I treated in the past 27 years, few cases had pure kidney Yang deficiency. Modern life always causes energy blockage in certain part of the body, such as upper, middle and lower burners. We have to open up the channels so we can bring the vital energy to kidney, spleen, liver, and testes. Furthermore, we consume more heat-producing foods than our parents’ generation did. Even there is kidney Yang deficiency; we cannot simply tonify the kidney Yang.

Boston Chinese Acupuncturists have accumulated a lot of experiences to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) in the past 20 years. The most effective way is to combine the individualized formula and electrical acupuncture to improve their testicular function and balance testosterone and other hormones. It takes 3 to 6 months to restore the normal sexual function with acupuncture once or twice week.