How To Treat Fluid Retention With Chinese Medicine

The swelling of the lower limbs, what people usually call fluid retention, according to Chinese medicine is caused mainly by the functioning of the spleen / stomach, liver and kidney.

The chi (energy) spleen is promoting digestion, absorption and distribution of chi pure and nourishing blood generated by food in the stomach for the whole body. Nutrition is represented in the form of visible blood (liquid) and invisible chi (motor or energy).

For the chi to circulate freely, a healthy and harmonious liver is needed , because the liver is the one that maintains the free pathways for the passage of chi. Lastly, kidney chi is needed to warm and support spleen and liver chi . That is the fundamental basis for the “circulatory” system to function properly; without forgetting the heart and lung, which also participate in this entire system.

For traditional Chinese medicine, swollen feet are usually due to the lack of chi that warms the liquids and mobilizes them. In this case, the spleen yang chi is probably missing , which cannot heat up the liquids that are retained in the lower part, since the liquids, being heavy, tend to accumulate at the bottom.

Tips to improve fluid retention

What you need to do is try to improve your spleen chi by changing your diet. More yang and hot foods should be eaten . The main “enemy” of the spleen is humidity, excess water, and with the humid heat the spleen chi has more difficulty in movement.

It will also be very beneficial to combine a little exercise to promote circulation. Another very important source of spleen and kidney chi wasting is excessive thinking or intellectual activity, that is, continually turning things over and over again without being able to stop.

It is a silent wear, but it hardly stops acting, which deprives the body of energy and tires it. In ancient Rome it was said Mens sana in corpore sana . With a healthy mind you have a healthy body. If the mind is light and empty of recurring thoughts, the body will in turn be lighter and more balanced.