Examining the concept of consumptive disease described in Donguibogam through the lens of modern medicine reveals substantial overlap with fibromyalgia syndrome. This condition is not simply localized muscle pain; it is a chronic generalized pain disorder arising from abnormalities in how the brain and nervous system process pain signals. Central sensitization, in which minor stimuli that would not cause discomfort in a healthy individual produce severe agony in a patient with fibromyalgia, serves as the core mechanism. In this state, the brain's pain-processing centers become hyperactivated, amplifying pain from mild stimuli, while inhibitory pathways fail to function adequately, lowering the overall pain threshold. In simple terms, the brain continuously transmits erroneous pain signals.
This pain hypersensitivity reaction is closely tied to an imbalance among multiple neurotransmitters. In particular, concentrations of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine, which are critical for pain regulation, are often diminished, while excitatory neurotransmitters such as glutamate are excessively released. Furthermore, dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which regulates the stress response, is recognized as a key contributor. Chronic stress disrupts hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis balance and alters cortisol secretion, which can diminish the regulation of inflammatory responses and increase pain sensitivity.
Autonomic nervous system imbalance also plays a major role. Hyperactivation of the sympathetic nerve and hypofunction of the parasympathetic nerve lead to reduced heart rate variability and vasoconstriction, sustaining a chronic state of tension that exacerbates muscle rigidity and pain. Sleep disturbance is another very common accompanying feature, notably non-restorative sleep. The intrusion of alpha waves into slow-wave sleep, known as the alpha-delta anomaly, is frequently noted. This prevents the brain from resting fully, maintaining a state of arousal during sleep that compounds fatigue and impairs pain modulation.
Fibromyalgia must therefore be understood not as simple muscle pain, but as an interconnected disorder involving the brain, nervous system, hormones, and sleep. Just as Donguibogam explained systemic complaints through deficiency of qi and blood and disharmony of the five viscera and six bowels, modern medicine likewise views fibromyalgia not as an isolated local ailment, but as a disruption of overall bodily balance that calls for an integrative approach.
