What Chinese herbs tonify kidney yang?

Chinese herbs that warm and tonify kidney yang are mostly warm in nature and pungent in flavor. They help replenish kidney yang and alleviate symptoms of yang deficiency. Commonly used herbs include Deer Antler (Lurong), Aconite Root (Fuzi), Cinnamon Bark (Rougui), Epimedium (Yinyanghuo), and Eucommia Bark (Duzhong). Detailed analysis is as follows:

1. **Deer Antler (Lurong)**: Its primary functions are to strengthen kidney yang, nourish essence and blood, and fortify tendons and bones. It is suitable for conditions caused by insufficient kidney yang and deficiency of essence-blood, such as cold intolerance, soreness and weakness in the lower back and knees, dizziness, tinnitus, impotence, and premature ejaculation. It effectively warms and tonifies kidney yang.

2. **Aconite Root (Fuzi)**: Known for restoring collapsed yang, supplementing fire to support yang, dispelling cold, and relieving pain. It is appropriate for severe cold limbs, cold aversion, and abdominal pain due to depleted kidney yang. It plays a regulatory role in serious cases of yang deficiency and must be processed before use.

3. **Cinnamon Bark (Rougui)**: Functions to supplement fire and support yang, dispel cold, relieve pain, and warm and promote circulation in the meridians. It is indicated for lower back and knee pain due to kidney yang deficiency, impotence, uterine cold, frequent nighttime urination, and can also alleviate blood stasis caused by cold accumulation from yang deficiency.

4. **Epimedium (Yinyanghuo)**: Tonifies kidney yang, strengthens tendons and bones, and dispels wind-dampness. Suitable for individuals with kidney yang deficiency accompanied by weak tendons and bones, numbness in limbs, and painful obstruction syndrome due to wind-dampness. It helps improve reduced limb function caused by yang deficiency.

5. **Eucommia Bark (Duzhong)**: Mainly functions to tonify the liver and kidneys, strengthen tendons and bones, and stabilize pregnancy. Indicated for soreness and pain in the lower back and knees and weak lower limbs due to kidney yang deficiency. It is effective in regulating tendon and bone disorders arising from liver-kidney deficiency and can also be used to support pregnancy in individuals with yang-deficient constitutions.

When using these herbs, attention should be paid to contraindications and precautions. Medication should strictly follow medical guidance to ensure safety and effectiveness.