Protecting Kidney Energy: A Key to Preventing Dementia
Senior woman practising Tai Chi in a park.
I once had a 70-year old patient who was also my friend. He was very friendly, honest and nice. One day he had a car accident. His car was terribly damaged, but luckily he was OK. He had just one problem of controlling his urine, which was resolved with acupuncture treatments. Checks in the hospital also showed he was fine. However, a little while after the accident, he started forgetting things and it got progressively worse. He began to forget the names of his two daughters and their occupations. The problem was diagnosed as dementia. When watching him I noticed he was walking with very small steps, leaning forward with his head down and using the front of his feet.
One of my other students had an older neighbour who used to be very active and happy. One day she was robbed on the street which was a great shock to her. Very soon after this incident she was diagnosed with dementia. The shock had brought on dementia.
Shock can severely deplete kidney energy, increasing the risk of dementia, especially in seniors. In Chinese medicine we say the kidney controls bones, marrow, brain and also fear and shock. When people receive a shock, the kidney Qi gets destroyed and cannot carry the energy to the brain and the marrow. We call the brain the sea of the marrow. Kidney energy is crucial for brain function, and its depletion can lead to dementia. As we age Qi deficiency is natural and especially in the kidneys, life energy becomes deficient. As seniors are already deficient, having a shock is tragic, and dementia can more easily occur.
How to protect kidney energy
Good nutrition, avoiding shock and addressing fear are crucial for maintaining kidney energy. While fear and shock are normal to a certain degree and not harmful, holding fear for a long time can destroy kidney energy. A patient’s mother lived in fear for her whole life with a very sick family member and a very controlling husband. The many years of fear gradually destroyed her kidney Qi,. Prolonged fear can be as detrimental to kidney energy as a sudden shock. It’s very important to find out the reasons for your fear and get rid of it to strengthen the kidney energy. Exercise like walking, Tai Chi, Qi Gong and yoga are also very good supports for kidney energy. It’s also very important to see a doctor regularly.
Prevention of dementia needs to be done early. Early intervention, starting around age 45, is essential, especially with a family history of dementia. It is also important to remove any kind of fear.
© Copyright Angela Zhu 2026