Did you know that chronic fatigue and lethargy are not simply caused by sleep deprivation? Modern medicine interprets these complex symptoms as a sign that the body's various physiological systems are out of harmony. In particular, it focuses on the importance of blood circulation, especially microvessel circulation that reaches every small corner of the body.
Just as Donguibogam explains that qi is the energy leading and propelling blood, modern medicine describes how the autonomic nervous system and endocrine system, alongside the powerful pump of the heart, exert a profound influence on blood flow and the delicate regulation of microvessels. It is akin to a traffic control system that finely regulates the road network crisscrossing every part of the body and the vehicles traveling on it.
Chronic stress and irregular lifestyle habits are prime culprits that disrupt this autonomic nervous system balance. In particular, when the sympathetic nerve is excessively activated, blood vessels constrict, blood flow resistance increases, and the blood supply to microvessels—the body's narrow pathways—can decrease. This is comparable to narrow city alleys drying up and deteriorating due to an inadequate water supply. When oxygen and glucose delivery to the brain drops, concentration declines and brain fog appears; when blood flow to muscles decreases, one easily feels fatigued even from minor activity, and recovery slows down. At the cellular level, mitochondrial dysfunction reduces adenosine triphosphate production, which can lead to general lethargy.
Furthermore, our endocrine system, particularly the adrenal gland, secretes the stress hormone cortisol to regulate energy metabolism and inflammatory responses. Chronic fatigue is often associated with adrenal fatigue syndrome, a condition where diminished adrenal function lowers the ability to respond to stress and reduces energy production efficiency, resulting in persistent fatigue. An imbalance in thyroid hormone can also be a major cause of decreased whole-body metabolism, lethargy, and fatigue. In this way, the wisdom of Donguibogam—which emphasized vitality and the circulation of qi and blood—is scientifically supported by modern medicine through precise mechanisms of blood circulation, nervous system regulation, and hormonal balance. Rather than complacently assuming it will get better with rest, an effort to read the body's signals and resolve the fundamental circulation issue is essential.
