Gout

Gout is a disease in which uric acid, a metabolic byproduct of purine, accumulates excessively in the blood, causing monosodium uric acid (MSU) crystals to deposit within the joints. When these crystals irritate the synovial membrane, neutrophils swarm in large numbers, triggering an explosive, powerful inflammatory response that leads to sudden, severe pain overnight. Increased uric acid production (due to excessive purine intake and increased cell destruction) and decreased renal excretion interact in a complex manner. In Korean medicine, gout is viewed as a condition of joint inflammation where sticky, stagnant waste products and hot, toxic energy block the pathways for the flow of Qi and blood, causing them to become blocked in one place. The digestive function, responsible for digestion and absorption, plays the role of breaking down food into smaller pieces and distributing them throughout the body. However, excessive consumption of greasy and spicy foods damages this digestive function, causing moisture and waste products to stagnate within the body. These then combine with heat to form sticky, heat-related waste products. When these heat-related waste products accumulate in the pathways around the big toe, localized burning sensations and severe pain appear at the site of the attack. At Dongjedang, we approach treatment by weakening the very basis that triggers attacks, combining herbal medicine to resolve stagnant waste products with acupuncture to clear blocked pathways.