TCM Theories On Chronic Prostatitis

 

According to the differences of patients’ condition, the disease can be classified into three types on the theory of TCM: damp-heat syndrome, blood stasis syndrome, syndrome of intermingled heat and cold.

 

 

Patients with this type of chronic prostatitis usually have short process of the disease. Commonly, they have symptoms of urinary frequency and urgency, painful and burning urination, dribbling or hesitant urination, pain or discomfort in perineum, anus and urethra. Patients may also accompanied by red tongue, thirst, burning anus. Besides, the prostate will be swelling and tenderness.

 

On the theory of TCM, the damp and heat in the body can be regard as diseases. Therefore, if these substances remain in the prostate, it will increase the discharge of prostate fluid and cause the obstruction of discharge, which resulting in the cloudy secretion after the urination. The prostatic duct is directly located at both sides of the bottom of the prostatic urethra verumontanum, and connect to the posterior urethra. So, the dampness and heat can be easily involve with the urethra and cause the urinary disorders. Since the prostate adjoins rectum, the heat and dampness can affect rectum and cause the rectal irritations like fall-swell, pain and burning sensation in anus. When these substances invade the meridians and collaterals, the prostate will be swelling, tender and burning. Therefore, directed at the causes and clinical symptoms, patients should take medicines which have the functions of clearing away heat and toxins, dispelling dampness.

 

 

Patients with this type of chronic prostatitis have a long treating course. They usually have obvious pain in the perineum and urethra. Sometimes the pain will influence the testicles, penis, groin, or abdomen and accompanied by frequent urination, drips after urinating, tingling in urethra when urinating. The cloudy secretion in the urethral orifice is not common. Patients will have less sexual life than usual because of the pain. The disease can also affect patients mentally, such as bringing anxiety, worry insomnia and dreaminess.    

 

On the theory of TCM, the heat and dampness remain in the prostate, meridians and collaterals for a long time, which can lead to the obstruction of blood stasis. Therefore, the prostate will become hard and even cause nodules. Because of the obstruction of blood stasis, it can lead to pain in the perineum, urethra, testicles, penis, groin, or abdomen. The blood stasis can obstruct the glandular tube and decrease the secretion of prostate fluid, so it’s hard to discharge the prostate fluid. The long-term pain can cause mental depression in patients. Therefore, it’s essential to dissolve the blood stasis and resolve the hard lump. 

 

 

This type of chronic prostatitis can affect patients for several months or years. Patients have to suffer from a series of symptoms, such as urethral discomfort, urinary frequency, drips after urinating, pain in the lower abdomen, back, or lumbosacral area. They can also accompany by soreness and weakness of waist and knees, fear of cold in lower abdomen, perineum, testis, cold in central of the feet or hot in palms and   feet, impotence, premature ejaculation. Patients can also have mental problems like depression, anxiety, insomnia, dreaminess, and even fear, inferiority, and anger. Severe patients can have suicidal tendency.  

 

It’s the most complex type among the types mentioned above. The disease contains cold-heat syndrome, deficiency of yin and yang, and obvious mental depression. These symptoms appear sometimes, so it’s of necessity to find the pathogenic characteristics. The heat and dampness will block the qi of yang which can lead to the fear of cold in the lower abdomen, perineum, testis. The central of feet will be cold if the balance of yang is broken while the damage of yin can lead to heat in palms and feet, tidal fever and night sweating. The urinary disorders are caused by the remained dampness and heat while the pain is caused by the blocked qi. As for the mental depression, it’s led to by the unimproved symptoms of the disease. So it’s important to combine therapy of cooling with warming,dispel dampness and stasis.