Kidney disease mainly reflects morbid changes in the physiological functions of the kidney proper and its functions, such as storing essence, management of growth and reproduction, governing water and bones, producing marrow and blood, controlling the reception of qi as well as nourishing and warming viscera. Clinically kidney disease is marked by aching and weakness or pain in the loins and knees, tinnitus and deafness, loss of hair and shaking of teeth, impotence and seminal emission, oligospermia and sterility, oligumenorrhea in woman, clear and profuse urine, enuresis, incontinence of urine or oliguria and edema, early morning diarrhea, dyspnea and more exhalation and less inhalation.

Kidney disease is usually of asthenia nature and frequently caused by constitutional asthenia, or insufficiency of essence during childhood, or consumption of essence in the aged, or intemperance of sexual life, or involvement of the kidney in the disorders of other viscera, which lead to asthenia or deficiency of yin, yang, essence and qi.