Yes, that is right. Exams, work, relationships—modern life itself is stress. What Korean medicine called headache from damage by the seven emotions is explained in modern medicine as various forms of stress headaches, including tension headache. The wisdom of our ancestors in Donguibogam is clearly proven by modern science.
When our body faces a stressful situation, it triggers a fight-or-flight response. At this time, the brain's hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is activated, releasing stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. While this helps cope with threats in the short term, if it persists chronically, it exerts severe effects on our brain and body.
In particular, several regions of the brain are affected: the amygdala, which handles emotional regulation, becomes hyperactivated, and the hippocampus, responsible for memory and learning, can decline in function. In addition, several neural circuits in the brain that perceive and modulate pain also become sensitized, leading to a phenomenon called central sensitization where one easily feels pain even from minor stimuli. It is just like the pain alarm system becoming overly sensitive.
Stress also disrupts the balance of neurotransmitters. When substances like serotonin or GABA, which provides a sense of calm, become deficient, anxiety is amplified and the pain threshold drops. Furthermore, chronic stress can induce a subtle inflammatory response in our body, and these inflammatory substances can become the main culprits aggravating headaches by irritating cerebral blood vessels or surrounding nerves. The fire mentioned in Donguibogam can be seen as directly aligned with this inflammatory response.
Moreover, stress stiffens and tenses the muscles around the neck, shoulders, and scalp, hardening them as if a heavy stone were placed on top. Such muscle tension compresses surrounding nerves, hinders blood circulation, and directly causes tension headache. It also affects vasoconstriction and dilation, causing changes in blood flow volume to the brain and triggering headaches.
Ultimately, liver qi stagnation in Korean medicine can be seen as materializing in modern medicine as imbalances in the nervous system and endocrine system caused by stress, muscle tension, and inflammatory responses. A headache is not simply pain; it is an earnest signal from your brain and body asking to please rest. Ignoring this signal can lead not only to chronic pain, but also to sleep disorders, indigestion, and even depression.
