You might wonder what stress has to do with neck pain. In Donguibogam, the neck was viewed as an 'important crossroad of the human body.' It is the pathway of qi and blood heading to the head, and the place where emotional waves exert their influence first. In particular, when we experience stress or get angry often, liver qi in our body stagnates, obstructing the flow of qi.
The liver is a vital organ in our body that regulates the smooth movement of qi. It functions much like a dam controlling a stream so it flows evenly. When this liver qi stagnates, that pent-up energy surges upward and heads toward the neck and shoulders. When heat from stress is added to this, these energies clump and congeal like phlegm-fire, causing the neck to stiffen and pain to develop.
When we hear the word phlegm, it is easy to think only of sputum, but in Korean medicine, phlegm refers to a state where metabolic waste in the body has clumped together into a thick form. When the circulation of qi and blood stagnates due to stress, this phlegm accumulates in various places, becoming a primary factor that triggers inflammation and worsens pain. Ultimately, neck pain is not merely a problem of the neck itself, but a distress signal indicating that the balance of the mind is disturbed and circulation in the body has stalled.
Donguibogam described this state by stating that phlegm-fire congeals and obstructs the neck. It is like throwing a stone into a quiet pond, creating ripples that spread outward and eventually block the waterway. Neck tension goes beyond simple knotted muscles; it is evidence that the harmony between body and mind has been disrupted. In particular, the neck is one of the areas that responds most sensitively to stress. Just as we shrug our shoulders and draw in our necks when tense or anxious, psychological pressure translates directly into physical tension. When this state becomes chronic, it interferes with sound sleep at night, making it easy to fall into a vicious cycle where even small triggers cause irritation. Therefore, when treating neck pain, Korean medicine does not look at the neck alone; it combines treatments that calm the mind and assist the circulation of qi and blood to address the root cause.
