From the perspective of modern medicine, cold air triggers various physiological responses in our bodies that can aggravate shoulder pain. The most representative of these is vasoconstriction. Cold temperatures activate the sympathetic nervous system, causing blood vessels around the skin and muscles to narrow. When blood vessels constrict, blood supply decreases, directly leading to a shortage of oxygen and nutrients reaching the muscles. When oxygen deprivation persists, muscles tire and stiffen more easily, and the accumulation of metabolic waste accelerates, generating more algogens such as lactic acid.
In addition, the cold directly induces muscle contraction and muscle spasm. To maintain body temperature, our bodies subconsciously contract muscles to generate heat. The muscles around the shoulders and neck in particular are often already tense from stress or postural issues, making them prone to excessive contraction and tightness when cold qi is added. Such muscle spasms compress surrounding nerves and trigger inflammatory reactions, becoming a major cause that deepens shoulder pain.
From a neurological perspective, cold qi can also heighten pain sensitivity. Cold shifts peripheral nerve conduction velocity and lowers the threshold of nociceptors, making the body readily perceive pain even from weak stimuli that normally would not be registered as painful. In other words, when nerves around the shoulders are exposed to cold temperatures, they become more sensitive, leading to severe pain even from minor muscle tension. In severe cases, this sensitization may even lead to chronic pain.
The Donguibogam concept of circulation of qi and blood can be viewed as closely connected to the blood flow and neurotransmission systems in modern medicine. When blood circulation is hindered by cold qi and nerves become hypersensitive, the body's endogenous pain modulation system may also weaken. Maintaining a warm environment and improving blood circulation through appropriate acupressure or stretching is a scientific approach to breaking this vicious cycle and helping shoulder muscles relax. Korean hand acupuncture and acupressure stimulate specific acupoints to induce neural reflexes, improve blood flow, and contribute to pain relief, earning recognition for their value in modern times as complementary therapies.
