Q What exactly is functional gastrointestinal disorder? Tests show nothing wrong, so why is it so distressing?
A Functional gastrointestinal disorder is a condition where indigestion, abdominal pain, bloating, and bowel disturbances persist despite no structural abnormalities on endoscopy or blood tests. Signal transmission between the brain and gut (the gut-brain axis) goes awry and visceral sensitivity heightens, so even normal bowel movements are felt as pain or discomfort.
Detailed Answer
Functional gastrointestinal disorder is a concept that includes irritable bowel syndrome, functional dyspepsia, functional abdominal pain, and functional constipation. Although the gastric mucosa and structure are normal, the key issue is that the movement processing and transporting food, and the signaling between brain and gut, do not work properly. The international Rome IV diagnostic criteria recognize this as a clear disorder, classifying it not as malingering or nervousness but as a functional disorder.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
In Korean medicine, this is viewed as a decline in spleen-stomach (脾胃) function and qi stagnation (氣滯)—a state in which qi clumps and cannot circulate properly. Rather than merely suppressing symptoms, we approach it by restoring the functional balance of the entire digestive system.
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