Is insufficient rigidity due to Yin deficiency or Yang deficiency?

During sexual intercourse between spouses, insufficient penile rigidity can cause significant distress for the patient, who often feels puzzled about the underlying cause. Is this condition due to Yin deficiency or Yang deficiency?

Is Insufficient Penile Rigidity Caused by Yin Deficiency or Yang Deficiency?

Insufficient penile rigidity may reflect both Yang deficiency and Yin deficiency. Such patients are commonly encountered in clinical practice and often present with symptoms including lumbago and knee weakness, lower-limb fatigue, cold hands and feet, dry mouth, and dark yellow urine. This mixed Yin-Yang deficiency pattern indicates that both Kidney Yin and Kidney Yang are relatively depleted, necessitating supportive and tonifying therapy to significantly improve penile rigidity. After age 40, overall physiological function declines markedly, and penile rigidity typically diminishes compared with that of younger individuals. Appropriate use of traditional Chinese patent medicines—such as Liu Wei Di Huang Wan (Rehmannia Six Formula) and Jin Kui Shen Qi Wan (Jin Kui Kidney Qi Pill)—may be beneficial.

Patients with Yin deficiency should focus on preserving body fluids and avoid excessive sweating. First, prevent fluid loss through profuse perspiration; second, actively nourish Yin. Ensure adequate, high-quality sleep and avoid staying up late. Maintain a humid indoor environment. Consume ample fruits and vegetables while minimizing spicy foods—spicy foods deplete Yin. Sour foods promote seminal secretion, whereas cooling foods help clear internal heat. Thus, appropriately increasing sour food intake may benefit individuals with Yin-deficient constitutions who experience symptoms such as deficient-heat and restlessness.

Therefore, patients experiencing severe symptoms should seek timely medical evaluation and treatment. Only through early prevention and accurate syndrome differentiation can effective, individualized treatment be achieved. We hope this information proves helpful to you.