Peripheral Neuropathy

Peripheral neuropathy is a disease in which peripheral nerves, excluding the brain and spinal cord, are damaged, and the most common cause is diabetes. When a state of high blood sugar persists, the microvessels (vasa nervorum) supplying blood to the nerves thicken and narrow, causing the nerves to fall into a state of chronic ischemia. At the same time, the activation of the polyol pathway, which converts glucose into sorbitol, increased oxidative stress, and the accumulation of AGEs (Advanced Glycation End Products) directly damage nerve myelin sheaths and axons. As a result, function deteriorates in the order of sensory nerves → motor nerves → autonomic nerves. In Korean medicine, this condition is viewed as a type of Bi-jeung (a state of numbness and pain). Digestive and absorptive functions govern the muscles of the limbs, while kidney energy is responsible for bone marrow and vital essence. When diabetes persists, digestive and kidney functions weaken together, leading to insufficient production of Qi and blood. Consequently, Qi and blood do not circulate properly through the pathways of the extremities, resulting in numbness, decreased sensation, and coldness. Furthermore, if dampness and phlegm (waste products and fluids) block these pathways, the pain is exacerbated. At Dongjedang, we approach treatment by focusing acupuncture on Qi and blood pathways to nourish digestive function and kidney energy, and by using constitution-tailored herbal medicine that strengthens the spleen, stomach, and kidneys while eliminating dampness and phlegm to restore peripheral Qi and blood circulation from the root.