Gout

The kidneys possess a complex transport system that reabsorbs approximately 90% of filtered uric acid and excretes 10%. If the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) decreases due to dysfunction of uric acid transport proteins such as URAT1 and ABCG2 or chronic kidney disease (CKD), uric acid excretion is reduced, leading to the accumulation of uric acid in the blood. Additionally, medications such as diuretics (especially thiazide types), low-dose aspirin, and cyclosporine also inhibit uric acid excretion by the kidneys. In Korean traditional medicine, the kidneys are considered key organs regulating the body's water metabolism and are closely linked to joint problems through their function in governing bone and joint health. When kidney function weakens significantly, the ability to warm and circulate water becomes insufficient, creating an environment where sticky waste products accumulate in the joints. Since the qi and blood pathways associated with the kidneys originate in the soles of the feet and ascend along the legs, a combination of declining kidney function and heat-related waste products results in lesions concentrated in the ankle, knee, and toe joints. Dongjedang aims to improve the uric acid metabolic environment itself through herbal medicine treatments that restore both kidney and digestive functions, combined with acupuncture treatments that clear these pathways.