The condition of adrenal fatigue, which has become increasingly common in functional and so-called alternative medicine circles, is characterized by persistent fatigue, compromised stress response, brain fog, sleep disruptions, and hormonal imbalances. It’s important to note that in TCM, the adrenal glands are not identified as discrete anatomical structures like in Western medicine, but are considered part of a comprehensive organ system responsible for various aspects of our overall health. Tracing the energetics and patterns underlying the symptoms of adrenal fatigue from a TCM perspective can be profoundly illuminating regarding potential pathways for healing on a root cause level.
In Chinese medicine, all disease can be traced to the Kidneys, such that the realm of this complex organ system stretches far beyond renal function. Indeed, the Kidneys refer to an extensive system encompassing reproduction and fertility, the brain, bone marrow, our teeth, hearing, and the adrenals. As the Kidney system is also considered the root of all Yin and Yang energetics in the body, it plays a crucial role in maintaining our overall balance and upholding the integrity of our innate regulatory mechanisms, including stress response. This aligns with a physiological understanding of the adrenal glands, which sit above the Kidneys and produce hormones such as cortisol, adrenaline, and aldosterone. Cortisol, the body’s main stress hormone, regulates metabolism, immune response, and the body’s ability to manage stress.
Cortisol dysregulation, whether too high or too low, reflects Kidney Yin or Kidney Yang imbalance, both affected by stress but expressing differently depending on factors like an individual's constitution and the duration of stress. This is especially important because dysregulated cortisol most aptly describes the subclinical phenomenon of adrenal fatigue, wherein chronic stress disrupts the body’s emergency alert system, also known as the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Persistent and unrelenting stress depletes the body's reserves, including our vital substance of Jing (essence), which is concentrated in the Kidneys, responsible for development, reproduction, and even lifespan. Thus, we can clearly see the Kidneys as ground zero, responsible for both Yin/Yang balance and storing our deepest energetic reserves (Jing).
Kidney Yin, also known as Yin Jing, acts as the foundation for reproductive fluids, bone marrow, and brain function, as well as providing the moisture needed to preserve and protect Jing, preventing it from burning out too quickly. One of the factors that most injures Kidney Yin is the overproduction and accumulation of cortisol, which wreaks havoc on overall hormonal balance and leads to a disruption of the endocrine system as a whole, setting off a chain reaction of disharmony throughout the body. Interestingly, it is the Kidneys that are primarily responsible for filtering stress hormones, particularly cortisol, from the bloodstream. Kidney Yin deficiency is implicated in early-stage adrenal fatigue, manifesting as depletion and excess heat. This points to the importance TCM places on nourishing Yin as a form of burnout prevention.
Signs of Kidney Yin deficiency include:
- Difficulty falling and staying asleep
- Night sweats, dry mouth, thirst
- Anxiety, heart palpitations
- Dizziness, tinnitus, hot flashes
- Afternoon energy crashes
Tonic herbal support for Kidney Yin includes He Shou Wu, Goji Berries, Schizandra, and our Nurture blend. Supportive foods include black sesame and seaweed.
Kidney Yang, also known as Yang Jing, is the entire body’s main source of energy for the duration of one’s life, generating all Yang energy in the body and initiating every organ’s various functions. It is also Kidney Yang that activates and utilizes Jing for energy, metabolism, and reproduction. Helping to generate Qi and Blood, it furthermore provides the fire needed for digestion, circulation, and overall vitality. When Kidney Yang is deficient, the body can no longer produce adequate cortisol and energy levels crash—a pattern of chronic, late-stage adrenal fatigue. If Kidney Yang is depleted for an extended period, the body compensates by drawing on our somewhat finite and extremely precious Jing reserves to sustain basic functions, affecting everything from fertility to our capacity for longevity.
Signs of Kidney Yang deficiency include:
- Extreme fatigue, needing stimulants to function
- Cold intolerance, cold hands and feet
- Low libido, infertility
- Poor digestion, water retention
- Frequent urination, weak lower back and knees
Tonic herbal support for Kidney Yang includes Eucommia Bark, Deer Antler Velvet, and our Warrior formula. Supportive foods include bone broth and warming spices like ginger and cinnamon.
It’s important to note that Jing is intimately connected with our capacity for adaptability and therefore a balanced stress response. Considered the foundation of vibrant health in TCM, adaptability means that we can evolve through stress, rather than succumb to it. Acclaimed endocrinologist Hans Selye demonstrated scientifically that any type of stress can be adjusted to for a while, but eventually the stress-response mechanism can break down and result in premature death. He drew a connection between this mechanism and some kind of intrinsic energy with which a person is born that determines vitality and longevity. TCM expert Ron Teeguarden reasons that this intrinsic energy is Jing, further explaining that the squandering of our “essence” increases susceptibility to all kinds of stressors, which in turn increases our susceptibility to illness.
