Acupuncture; as a valuable tool for headache

Abstract

Acupuncture is known as the effective tool for headache, but the mechanism of the effect is unknown. We already revealed the acupuncture effect in the clinical team of headache center in Keio University Hospital. Therefore, we tried to establish the animal model for elucidation of mechanism of acupuncture effect in the pathophysiology of headache. Resent study, we reveal the threshold-reduction of the genesis of the cortical spreading depression (CSD; thought as the trigger of migraine attack) during the trigeminal nerve stimulation. This result suggests that, the somatosensory stimulation may influence the occurrence and severity of the pathogenesis of migraine. Furthermore, we assume that our result may lead to the underlying mechanism of acupuncture effect.