Meridian Kidney Protection Therapy is the core therapy of our hospital. It is a combined Chinese medicine approach developed over more than two decades of nephrology practice, and it is delivered through the umbilicus along the meridians associated with the kidney rather than through injection or infusion. It is used together with other therapies according to the individual case, not as a stand-alone prescription.
The reasoning behind the therapy
Meridians and the kidney
In Chinese medicine, the kidney is treated as more than a pair of organs. It is understood to govern water metabolism, the strength of the bones, and the reserve of vital energy described as kidney qi. The meridian system is the network through which this function is thought to be regulated. When kidney function declines, the associated meridians are read as showing disturbance, and treatment aims to restore their normal flow.
This is the framework in which the therapy was designed: rather than acting on the kidney alone, it works along the meridian pathways that traditional theory associates with kidney function.
Why the umbilicus
The umbilicus — the acupoint known as Shenque — is treated in Chinese medicine as a route of particular significance. It sits close to the surface, has a rich blood supply, and in traditional theory connects directly with the body's original qi. Administering treatment here is an established technique in Chinese medicine, and it is the route this therapy is built around.
How it fits into a treatment plan
At our hospital the therapy is never used on its own. Every patient is assessed first, and the assessment has two parts: a conventional nephrology diagnosis based on laboratory and imaging findings, and a Chinese medicine pattern differentiation based on the patient's presentation.
From there the specialist team decides which therapies to combine. Meridian Kidney Protection Therapy forms the core of that combination, and the other treatments in the hospital's programme — including herbal medicine, external therapies, meridian stimulation and dietary therapy — are selected around it. The mix differs from patient to patient, and it is reviewed as laboratory results come back during the stay.
What treatment actually involves
Your first week at the hospital is largely diagnostic. You will have a full set of laboratory tests and, where useful, imaging. The specialist who will supervise your care reviews the results with you, explains what they show, and sets out a written treatment plan.
Treatment then follows that plan, with regular testing to see how your body is responding. Because the plan is adjusted according to your own results rather than fixed in advance, the length of a first treatment cycle varies. Our international coordinators will give you a realistic estimate for your case after the initial review, before you travel.
Patent status
The hospital holds a Chinese national invention patent relating to this therapy, granted in 2017 under patent number ZL 2016 1 0546575.2. The hospital's medical licence and patent documentation are available for inspection on request.
Who it may not suit
We are direct about this, because it matters more than a sales pitch. Meridian Kidney Protection Therapy is not appropriate for every patient, and there are situations where we will say so after reviewing your reports:
- Patients who need urgent dialysis or who are already established on it may need blood purification continued alongside treatment; the therapy does not replace it.
- Active, severe infection, uncontrolled bleeding risk, or unstable heart failure make any new therapy inadvisable until stabilised.
- In advanced kidney failure, the realistic goal is to preserve remaining function and manage symptoms — not to reverse established scarring. We will tell you which of these applies to you.
- Patients taking immunosuppressants need herbal prescriptions reviewed against their existing medication before anything is started.
Safety and interactions
Chinese herbal preparations are active substances. Some interact with immunosuppressants, blood pressure medication, diuretics and anticoagulants. At our hospital every prescription is written by a physician who has the patient's full medication list, and laboratory monitoring continues during the treatment period.
Please tell the medical team about everything you are taking, including supplements and anything bought without prescription, and about any allergies, bleeding tendency, or pregnancy.
Questions patients ask us
Is this therapy a replacement for dialysis or immunosuppression?
No. It is used alongside standard nephrology care. Where blood purification or immunosuppression is medically indicated, it continues. Our specialists will not advise you to stop a treatment that your condition requires.
How long does a course of treatment take?
A first assessment and treatment cycle typically spans several weeks, but the appropriate length depends on your diagnosis and how your laboratory results respond. You will be given an estimate in writing after the initial report review.
Does it involve injections?
No injections are used for this therapy. It is delivered through the umbilicus, and the hospital's wider programme combines oral and external Chinese medicine alongside conventional nephrology management.
Can I continue it after returning home?
Every patient leaves with a written follow-up plan. What can be continued at home, and what needs to be done under supervision, is set out in that plan. Remote consultations are available for review of your laboratory results after you return.