Enuresis (bedwetting) means involuntary discharge of the urine at daytime or night during sleep by children aged over three years old. Most of them are functional. According to the statistics during 4½ years age the rate of enuresis is 12%, and it is 2% during 7 ½ -18 aged.

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The acupuncture treatment can achieve very good therapeutic effect on enuresis. Some patients have to combine herbal medicine. For the enuresis caused by organic disease such as deformities of the urinary tract, latent spinal bifida and oxyuriasis, the primary disease should be treated first.

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Syndrome (a)
Insufficiency of the kidney-yang

Involuntary micturition during sleep, known when the patient wakes up, once or twice a night, accompanied with clear urine and prolonged urination, and frequent micturition, cold extremities, pale tongue with white and slippery coating, and deep, slow and weak pulse.

To treat by Herbal medicine
Therapeutic principle: Warning and recuperating the kidney-yang to treat enuresis.

Prescription/Formula: Modified prescription of Mantis Egg-case Powder and Enuresis Powder.
mantis egg-case, Ootheca Mantidis 15g,
dodder seed, Semen Cuscutae 9g,
bitter cardamon, Fructus Alpiniae Oxyphyllae 15g,
psoralea fruit, Fructus Psoraleae 15g raspberry, Fructus Rubi 15g,
prepared aconite root, Radix Aconiti Praeparata 6g,
cinnamon bark, Cortex Cinnamoni 4.5g,
astragalus root, Radix Astragali 15g,
dangshen, Radix Codonopsis Pilosulae 15g

To treat by Acupuncture and Moxibustion
Acupuncture can help nourish the kidney qi and strengthen the organ’s function by reinforcing the primordial qi.
Moxibustion is applied to achieve therapeutic effect by invigorating primordial yang and strengthen qi.

Prescription/Formula:
Acupuncture:
Two groups of the main points are adopted.
The first group are Shenshu (B 23), Guanyuan ( Ren 4)) and Sanyinjiao (Sp 6).
The second group are pangguangshu (B 28), Zhongji (Ren 3) and Dadun (Liv 1) Zhongji (Ren 4 Alternately apply these two groups of points each day (one day with one group to nourish the kidney qi and strengthen the organ’s function by reinforcing the primordial qi. The patient is required to discharge urine before receiving the treatment.

Moxibustion can be applied for those patients with yang deficiency. Moxibustion at Dadun (Liv 1), which is the Jing-Well point of the Liver Meridian, with the bird pecking method for 5-10 minutes achieve better therapeutic effect by warming and smoothing the meridian. Moxibustion is applied at Guanyuan (Ren 4) for 10 minutes. This is to achieve therapeutic effect by invigorating primordial yang and strengthen qi. For those urinate during dreams Shemen (H 7) is added, for those with poor appetite Pishu (B 20) and Zusanli (ST 36) are added.

  

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Syndrome (b)
Deficiency of the lung-qi and spleen-Qi

Mostly seen in patient with general asthenia due to a prolonged disease, involuntary maturation erring sleep, frequent micturition and scanty in amount, accompanied with pallor, listlessness, anorexia, loose stools, pale tongue with white coating and empty and weak pulses.

To treat by Herbal medicine
Therapeutic principle: Building up the primordial energy and supplementing the kidney-qi to arrest enuresis.

Prescription/Formula: Modified prescriptions of Decoction for Reinforcing Middle-jiao and Replenishing Qi and Pill for treating Enuresis.
dangshen, Radix Codonopsis Pilosrlae 15g
astragalus root, Radix Astragali 15g
white atractylodes rhizome, Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae 9g Chinese yam, Rhizoma Dioscoreae 9g
Chinese angelica root, Radix Angelicae Sinensis 9g
cimicifuga rhizome, Rhizoma Cimicifugae 6g
bupleurum root, Radix Bupleuri 6g
tangerine peel, Pericaripium Citri Reticulatae 6g
bitter cardamon, Fructus Alpiniae Oxyphyllae 15g
schisandra fruit, Fructus Schisandrae 9g
prepared liquorice, Radix Glycyrrhizae Praeparata 3g
All above drugs are to be decocted water for oral administration.

To treat by Acupuncture and Moxibustion
Therapeutic principle:
Acupuncture can help nourish the kidney qi and strengthen the organ’s function by reinforcing the primordial qi.
Moxibustion is applied to achieve therapeutic effect by invigorating primordial yang and strengthen qi.

Prescription/Formula:
Acupuncture:
Two groups of the main points are adopted.
The first group are Shenshu (B 23), Guanyuan ( Ren 4)) and Sanyinjiao (Sp 6).
The second group are pangguangshu (B 28), Zhongji (Ren 3) and Dadun (Liv 1) Zhongji (Ren 4 Alternately apply these two groups of points each day (one day with one group to nourish the kidney qi and strengthen the organ’s function by reinforcing the primordial qi. The patient is required to discharge urine before receiving the treatment.

Moxibustion can be applied for those patients with yang deficiency. Moxibustion at Dadun (Liv 1), which is the Jing-Well point of the Liver Meridian, with the bird pecking method for 5-10 minutes achieve better therapeutic effect by warming and smoothing the meridian. Moxibustion is applied at Guanyuan (Ren 4) for 10 minutes. This is to achieve therapeutic effect by invigorating primordial yang and strengthen qi. For those urinate during dreams Shemen (H 7) is added, for those with poor appetite Pishu (B 20) and Zusanli (ST 36) are added.

5. Healing by Other Therapies

(a) Medicated diet
1. One Yellow Hen(Huangmuji), Nonglutinouse Rice(Jingmi) 120g, Sweet Potato(Huangshu) 30g, Rehmannia Glutinosa(Shudi) 15g. Dress the hen, boil it with the sweet potato, Rehmannia Glutinosa until it is well done, take out the herb and bone, put the rice into the soup, cook it into gruel, add flavourings and eat it at will.
2. Smoked Plum(Wumei) 6g, Silkworm Cocoon(Canjian) 70 pieces, red Date(Hongzao) 10 pieces, Sugar 50g. Boil them in water, drink the liquid before 4 PM each day, continue drinking for 10 days. Applied to children with Insufficiency of the kidney-yang.
3. Helpful food: Mutton Stomach(Yangdu), Pork Bladder(Zhupanghuang), Chives Seed(Jiuchaizi), Sharpleaf Glangal Fruit(Yizhiren), Dried Lichee(Lizhigan).

(b) Life style
1. Train the child to urinate regularly from the early age.
2. Don't let your kids play too much in daytime, keep sleeping on left or right side position.
3. Control the amount of drinking water before sleeping over night.
4. Let the child empty his/her bladder before going to bed.
5. Encourage the child to relax.
5. Do necessary exercise.

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Acknowledgments:
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