Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia occurs through a mechanism called Central Sensitization. The pain control systems of the brain and spinal cord become abnormally hypersensitive, causing severe pain to be felt even from weak stimuli. It is accompanied by generalized muscle pain, fatigue, sleep disorders, and cognitive decline even without signs of tissue damage or inflammation, and it is about seven times more common in women. Rather than a clear single cause, a complex interplay of factors such as genetic predisposition, trauma, chronic stress, sleep disorders, and autonomic nervous system imbalance is involved. In Korean medicine, fibromyalgia is viewed as a complex condition involving stagnation of energy flow due to blocked liver energy, a deficiency of both energy and blood, and the accumulation of waste products accompanied by circulatory disorders. The liver governs the circulation of energy throughout the body; when liver energy is blocked due to chronic stress and emotional suppression, circulation throughout the body becomes stagnant. Since digestive function nourishes muscles, weakened digestion prevents nutrients from reaching the muscles, causing aches and pains throughout the body. If cold or dampness invades the circulatory pathways running along the entire back, or if energy becomes stagnant, widespread tenderness and fatigue manifest. At Dongjedang, we approach treatment by resolving these circulatory imbalances using acupuncture and moxibustion, and by using herbal medicine to eliminate internal waste products and circulatory disorders, thereby stabilizing the hypersensitive state of the central nervous system.