Treatments in Conventional Medicine and Their Limitations
Conventional medicine focuses on bringing levels into the normal range via fluid therapy and medication. Under the diagnosis of a Korean Medicine doctor, BM Korean Internal Medicine Clinic actively utilizes or recommends these emergency treatments and drug therapies in parallel.
- Fluids & Electrolyte Correction: Administering normal saline, dextrose solutions, or potassium supplements to replenish deficits or dilute excesses.
- Inducing Excretion: Using diuretics to remove water and sodium, or potassium binders (resins) to excrete potassium via stool.
- Hormonal Regulation: Using antidiuretic hormones (DDAVP) or antagonists (Vaptans).
[Limitations]
Rapid correction of levels is very dangerous as it can lead to other fatal side effects like Osmotic Demyelination Syndrome (ODS) or cardiac shock.
Additionally, long-term use of diuretics or potassium binders carries risks of complications such as worsening kidney function, constipation, and intestinal necrosis.
Above all, since they do not restore the body's broken homeostatic regulation mechanism, imbalances often recur once the medication is stopped.
BM's Integrative Solution: Restoring Self-Purification and Organ Protection
BM Korean Internal Medicine Clinic focuses on restoring the "Natural Healing Power" so the body can empty excesses and fill deficits on its own.
- Normalizing Water Metabolism (Aquaretic Effect): Formulas like Oryeong-san (Goreisan) or Jinmu-tang regulate cell membrane water channels (Aquaporins) to resolve edema and thirst simultaneously without causing drastic changes in electrolyte levels.
- Gut-Kidney Axis Detoxification: For hyperkalemia or uremia, we use Herbal Enema Therapy with Rhubarb (Daehwang) to safely excrete toxins through the intestines, reducing the burden on the kidneys.
- Strengthening Heart & Vessels: We use Shengmai-san or Shensong yangxin to boost Heart Qi and improve blood circulation, increasing blood flow to the kidneys and assisting electrolyte regulation functions.
Evidence-Based Korean Medicine (Scientific Evidence)
Studies prove that Korean Medicine treatments are effective in regulating water channels, preserving kidney function, and alleviating cardiac toxicity caused by electrolyte imbalances.
- Water Balance via Regulation of Aquaporins by Herbal Medicine: It has been reported that major herbal formulas like Goreisan and Jinmu-tang regulate the expression of Aquaporin-2 (AQP2) in the kidneys, balancing body fluids without causing rapid fluctuations in electrolytes.
- Chang Y, Liu L, Xu X, Zhang S. Regulation of aquaporin-2 using traditional Chinese medicine in water balance disorders: a literature review. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine. 2025;12:1506190. doi:10.3389/fcvm.2025.1506190
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- Improvement of Hyperkalemia and Renal Failure by Rhubarb: A meta-analysis confirmed that treatment including Rhubarb significantly lowers Serum Potassium, Creatinine, and BUN levels and improves metabolic acidosis in patients with chronic renal failure, thereby preserving kidney function.
- Huang W, Rao Y, Li L, Li C, An Y. Clinical effect of rhubarb on the treatment of chronic renal failure: A meta-analysis. Frontiers in Pharmacology. 2023;14:1108861. doi:10.3389/fphar.2023.1108861
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- Regulation of Cardiac Ion Channels by Shensong yangxin: It has been proven that Shensong yangxin capsule regulates multiple ion channels in the heart, including potassium, sodium, and calcium, suppressing fatal arrhythmias that can be triggered by electrolyte imbalances and stabilizing heart rhythms.
- Lu X, Wang T, Hou B, et al. Shensong yangxin, a multi-functional traditional Chinese medicine for arrhythmia: A review of components, pharmacological mechanisms, and clinical applications. Heliyon. 2024;10(16):e35560. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e35560
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