Intercostal Neuralgia

The analgesic effects of acupuncture are broadly divided into immediate responses (pain relief on the same day) and cumulative responses (tissue recovery). In terms of Western medical mechanisms, acupuncture stimulation promotes the secretion of endorphins and serotonin, inhibits pain signal transmission at the spinal cord level (gate control), and improves the supply of oxygen and nutrients around the nerves by increasing local blood flow. In the acute phase, patients often experience rapid relief, whereas in cases of chronic neuralgia, the nerves are already hypersensitive (central sensitization), requiring various treatments to lower the level of sensitization. In Korean medicine, the immediate effect of acupuncture is to instantly clear blocked and stagnant energy flow, while the cumulative effect is a process of gradually removing clotted blood and replenishing the body's restorative power to create an environment for nerve regeneration. Dongjedang adopts a step-by-step approach: in the early stages, acupuncture and moxibustion are used to induce rapid pain relief, and from the mid-stage onwards, pharmacopuncture and thread embedding are used to support tissue regeneration. Combining this with herbal medicine tailored to the patient's constitution can correct the body's tendency to accumulate waste products and clotted blood, thereby reducing the risk of recurrence.