Symptoms of swollen, numb, and throbbing legs every night are pains experienced by many modern individuals. They appear especially commonly in people who work standing up or office workers who sit for prolonged periods. The spleen problem described in Donguibogam can be explained in modern medicine as circulatory diseases such as varicose veins or chronic venous insufficiency. These diseases arise from problems in the leg veins, occurring because blood cannot properly return to the heart.
Important veins that return blood to the heart are distributed throughout our legs. Inside these veins, there are small doors called valves that prevent blood from refluxing downward as it moves upward against gravity. However, what happens if these valves become damaged or their function weakens due to various reasons? Just like the floodgates of a broken dam, blood cannot travel upward properly and begins to stagnate in the lower legs.
Blood stagnating in this manner dilates the veins and, over time, can cause varicose veins that protrude tortuously. In the early stages, the legs merely feel swollen and heavy, but gradually pain, numbness, convulsions, pruritus, and in severe cases, skin discoloration or ulcers can appear. In particular, many people have their deep sleep disrupted at bedtime due to a crawling sensation or throbbing pain.
Chronic venous insufficiency is a broader concept than varicose veins, referring to all conditions in which chronic blood pooling occurs in the legs due to valve dysfunction. As a result, the supply of oxygen and nutrients to leg tissues becomes impaired, and waste accumulation worsens, repeating a vicious cycle that further aggravates edema and pain. Symptoms worsen as prolonged sitting or standing allows gravity to draw blood downward for extended periods, and pain can feel even greater at night due to the pressure and inflammatory reactions accumulated during the day, even while lying down.
Ultimately, the waterway stagnation caused by spleen hypofunction in Donguibogam is explained in modern medicine through the specific mechanism of blood circulation disorder and inflammation caused by venous valve insufficiency. Please remember that this is not swelling simply from being tired, but a very important signal sent by the blood vessels in our body. Leaving it unaddressed can cause it to gradually worsen, so taking an early interest and managing it is truly important.
