My hands and feet are cold, it might be a red light from your body.

Hello. This is Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic. # My hands and feet are cold, it might be a red light from your body. When the cold wind starts to blow, many people feel their hands and feet are particularly chilly and cold. People who complain that 'my hands and feet are cold' and have a hard time when winter comes, sometimes say it's hard to fall asleep without socks even in the middle of summer. To simply pass it off as 'it must be my original constitution,' there are various signals the body sends along with the discomfort of daily life. This coldness of the hands and feet, or cold syndrome, can be a powerful warning sound that an important balance of our body has been broken. 💡 **[Key Answer]** **3 most common causes of 'my hands and feet are cold':** ① **Autonomic Imbalance** / ② **Decreased Blood Circulation** / ③ **Deep Internal Coldness and Deficiency of Qi and Blood** Dalimchae Clinic creates a healthy body where symptoms do not recur by correcting body imbalances through **constitutional improvement**. ## Why does the symptom of 'my hands and feet are cold' appear more in women? Cold syndrome, especially cold hands and feet, tends to appear much more commonly in women than in men. This is because a woman's body consumes more Qi and blood than a man's and reacts sensitively to hormonal changes. In the process leading to menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and menopause, women undergo significant Qi and blood consumption, which becomes a cause for warm energy to decrease. These hormonal changes also affect the autonomic nervous system, causing blood vessel constriction and making blood supply to peripheral areas such as hands and feet not smooth. Also, the fact that women have smaller skeletons and less muscle mass than men acts unfavorably for maintaining body temperature, and reactions to stress also break the balance of the autonomic nervous system, becoming a factor that deepens cold syndrome. It is often accompanied by gynecological diseases such as a cold lower abdomen, severe menstrual pain, and irregular menstruation, rather than just cold hands and feet. ## Body's 'Temperature Control Switch' Broken, Autonomic Imbalance and Decreased Blood Circulation Our body has the ability to maintain body temperature constant by itself. One of the important systems responsible for this is the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system governs heart rate, digestion, and body temperature regulation regardless of our will. When the balance of the autonomic nervous system is broken due to stress, overwork, and lack of sleep, blood vessels constrict excessively, and warm blood cannot be properly delivered to the ends of the hands and feet. Just like the corner of the farthest room in a house with poor heating cools down first, it starts to get cold from the fingertips and toes farthest from the heart. Also, in Korean medicine, the cause of cold syndrome is seen as a symptom of 'Blood Deficiency (血虛)' due to lack of Qi and blood, especially lack of blood supply. When energy and blood are insufficient in the body, it becomes difficult to sufficiently supply warmth throughout the whole body, and this can lead to decreased metabolism and become a cause of hypothermia where the entire body becomes cold. Songdo Cold Syndrome Clinic identifies these complex causes and proceeds with treatment suitable for the individual. ## Cold Syndrome Treatment, Effectiveness of Korean Medicine Approach Korean medicine treatment for cold hands and feet focuses on improving the fundamental cause inside the body beyond simply warming the outside. It aims to restore the body's natural temperature control ability by promoting Qi and blood circulation through acupuncture, moxibustion, and herbal medicine, and regaining the balance of the autonomic nervous system. In a case report published in *The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine* in 2023, it was reported that after performing complex Korean medicine treatment (Gyejigabujah-tang herbal medicine and acupuncture treatment) for 13 days on one patient with herniated disc accompanied by cold hands and feet, the patient's subjective pain scale (NRS) for cold hands and feet improved from 7 on the first day of admission to 3 at discharge. This study suggests that herbal medicine and acupuncture treatment can have a positive effect on improving cold hands and feet symptoms. As another study, in 2021, the Sun&Moon Korean Medicine Hospital research team announced the results of a retrospective chart review after applying a magnetic deep heat treatment device (Whata 153) to 9 patients with cold hands and feet through 'A Case Report of Cold Hands and Feet Using Whata 153'. According to this report, along with the patients' subjective satisfaction, a clear improvement was observed in body temperature changes on objective Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI). The researchers mentioned that magnetic deep heat treatment can be a treatment option for patients with cold hands and feet. These clinical cases show the possibility of a Korean medicine approach to Songdo cold hands and feet treatment. ## Dalimchae Clinic's Constitutional Improvement Treatment: Not turning off the symptoms, but making the body not turn on again At Dalimchae Clinic Songdo Branch, we focus on improving the fundamental cause within the body, namely the imbalance of 'constitution', rather than simply solving the symptom of cold hands and feet. The goal is to create a body that can generate warmth by itself by driving out the deep coldness inside the body, strengthening weakened organ functions, and regaining the balance of the disordered autonomic nervous system. This is a constitutional improvement process that makes the body not turn on cold syndrome again, rather than just temporarily turning off the symptoms. Depending on the individual's constitution, health status, and cause of cold syndrome, Qi and blood are supplemented and circulation is promoted through customized herbal medicine prescriptions. If necessary, acupuncture, moxibustion, and pharmacopuncture treatment are combined to increase the body's core temperature and help smooth blood circulation. For example, for a patient with insufficient blood, medicinal herbs that supplement blood are prescribed, and for a patient with insufficient Yang energy, medicinal herbs that supplement Yang energy are prescribed to correct the balance of the whole body. ## Am I having cold syndrome? Self-Diagnosis Checklist If 3 or more items apply to you, you need to suspect cold syndrome and consider accurate diagnosis and treatment through consultation with an expert. * My hands and feet feel as cold as ice even in warm places. * My lower abdomen or waist often feels chilly and cold. * Menstrual pain is severe or the menstrual cycle is irregular. * I feel chronic fatigue and lethargy. * Digestion is not good, or I feel bloated and have frequent stomach disorders. * I am sensitive to cold and look for long sleeves or socks even in the middle of summer. * I often feel headaches and dizziness together. * Emotional ups and downs are severe and I often feel anxious and restless. * I don't feel refreshed even after waking up and the quality of sleep is poor. **If 3 or more items apply → Suspect cold syndrome, check of autonomic nervous system and blood circulation is necessary** **If 5 or more items apply → Advanced stage of cold syndrome, immediate review and treatment recommended by visiting Songdo Clinic** ## Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) **Q. If the symptom of 'my hands and feet are cold' is severe, is it also related to infertility?** A. Yes, from a Korean medicine perspective, cold syndrome is seen to be closely related to uterine health. If the lower abdomen is cold or blood circulation in the uterus is not smooth, it can affect ovarian function and become a cause of infertility, and can induce various gynecological diseases such as menstrual pain or irregular menstruation. **Q. Is stress management also important if I have cold hands and feet?** A. Very important. Stress can break the balance of the autonomic nervous system, overactivate the sympathetic nervous system, constrict blood vessels, and worsen cold syndrome. Therefore, appropriate stress management and mental and physical stability are essential for cold syndrome treatment. **Q. How long does cold syndrome treatment take?** A. The cold syndrome treatment period can vary depending on the individual's constitution, severity of symptoms, and presence of accompanying diseases. Generally, if steady treatment and lifestyle improvement are combined, 3 to 6 months are expected, but it is important to establish an individual treatment plan through accurate diagnosis. **Q. What tests are used to diagnose cold syndrome at Songdo Cold Syndrome Clinic?** A. At Dalimchae Clinic Songdo Branch, beyond consultation, body surface temperature distribution in each part of the body is objectively measured through Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI). Accurate diagnosis is made by multi-faceted analysis of the causes of cold syndrome through autonomic balance tests (HRV), pulse diagnosis, and body composition analysis. 'My hands and feet are cold' is not a problem that can be solved by enduring. You no longer have to ignore the signals your body has been sending for a long time. If you approach in the right direction, the body responds faster than you think. Bring your symptoms exactly as they are. At Dalimchae Clinic, we will find the cause together. Where life blooms. For herbal medicine, it's Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic. Check your symptoms similar to mine through the AI consultation on the Dalimchae Clinic website first! This article is health information compiled by Dalimchae medical staff based on questions frequently received in the treatment room. Medical Supervision | Women & Pregnancy Treatment Standards Dalimchae Clinic Songdo Branch Korean Medicine Doctor Oh Hyunmin (Cold Syndrome Column)