Tap your back with a wooden stick every day and rub your groin while showering.

**Pound your back with a wooden stick every day.**

An expert published in the February 2009 issue of the *American Journal of Gastroenterology* pointed out that inflammatory bowel disease often interacts with poor sexual function and decreased fertility. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that poor gastrointestinal health easily leads to kidney deficiency, which has a significant impact on sexual function.

American research indicates that a combination of factors-some medications for intestinal diseases, enteritis itself, and poor nutritional status-can negatively impact male fertility. Furthermore, intestinal surgery, the negative emotional state associated with gastrointestinal illnesses, and medications used to treat them can also decrease sexual function. People with poor gastrointestinal function are prone to recurring symptoms, thus creating a vicious cycle between the digestive and reproductive systems.

In traditional Chinese medicine andrology clinics, patients often tell doctors with a worried look on their faces that they have a stomachache.

Symptoms such as abdominal pain, borborygmus followed by diarrhea, lower abdominal pain, cold limbs, and weakness in the lower back and knees are actually symptoms of kidney yang deficiency, often referred to in traditional Chinese medicine.

The main causes that may trigger inflammatory bowel disease include frequently staying up late, chronic fatigue, eating raw, cold, greasy, or overly processed foods, smoking, and the widespread use of refrigerators. These are all adverse factors that can damage the body's vital energy.

For abdominal pain, diarrhea, and bloody stools caused by deficiency of Yang Qi in the lower abdomen, urinary tract discomfort or decreased sexual function may also occur. Patients need to keep warm, avoid raw and cold foods, and get plenty of regular rest, exercise, and sunshine. Here is a simple and easy exercise method.

Prepare a sturdy wooden stick, about one meter long and as thick as a flashlight. Hold the stick with your back turned and tap your lower back, from the first thoracic vertebra to the sacrum. The stick should be comfortable to hold, have a certain degree of hardness and weight, and be of a suitable length. You can also use a commercially available acupressure massage stick or other alternatives. The tapping frequency doesn't need to be too fast; 40 to 60 taps per minute is sufficient.

The upper back is an area that's difficult to reach with your hands, yet it's precisely this area that needs extra attention. Tapping the area between the upper thoracic vertebrae and the shoulder blades, often referred to as the "back heart zone," not only strengthens muscles and protects the heart and lungs but also has therapeutic effects on the lower abdomen. Exercises at the thoracolumbar junction benefit the digestive system, while the lower back down to the lumbosacral region is crucial for the urinary and reproductive systems. Tapping your back a hundred or two hundred times a day will definitely benefit your entire body.

Author: Zhang Muchuan, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine

**Scrub your groin area while showering**

Showering is a good time for men to perform sexual health checks and examinations. Dr. Lü Bodong, chief physician of the Andrology Center at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, suggests massaging the groin area while showering.

The inguinal canals, located on either side of the base of the penis, are the pathways for blood supply to the testicles and for nerve connections. If the inguinal canals are dysfunctional, it will inevitably lead to testicular hypofunction. During massage, use two fingers to press on both sides of the base of the penis, rubbing downwards to stimulate blood flow to the testicles.

Lu Bodong also suggests that men aged 15 to 35 should perform a self-examination of their testicles while showering, at least once a month. They can gently rotate the testicles with their thumb and forefinger; if an abnormal, pea-sized, painless lump is found, they should be alert and see a doctor promptly.

Author: Geng Qiang, Department of Andrology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine