RESUMEN
We assumed that changes in the excitability of motor nerves play some role in the stiffness of the neck, shoulders, and extremities in patients with vertigo. To obtain a better understanding of this phenomenon, we stimulated the receptors involved in body equilibrium with external stimuli, i.e., 1) caloric stimulation of the semicircular canals and 2) neck movements, and investigated changes in the F wave and the surface electromyogram (S-EMG) of the posterior cervical region.<BR>The subjects were 40 healthy adults. Caloric stimulation of the semicircular canals was performed by infusing15°C water, and changes in the F wave examined. In addition, changes in the S-EMG by stimulation at temperatures of 5°C or 44°C were investigated. We examined changes in the F wave by the neck movements in association with theresults of the blindfold ed vertical writing test. The F wave of a patient with vertigo was also examined.<BR>During vertigo induced by caloric stimulation of the semicircular canals, the excitability of the F wave on both the stimulated and non-stimulated sides increased, the S-EMGs showed decreased excitability on both the stimulated and non-stimulated sides during maximum voluntary contraction in the subject who experienced severe vertigo, nystagmus, and nausea. The changes in the F wave induced by the neck movements were small. However, excitability increased more significantly during posterior flexion than during other movements, and the angle of deviation of the letters written blindly tended to deviate most markedly toward the left during posterior flexion. The F wave of the patient with vertigo showed excitability, but it tended to decrease as the vertigo diminished.<BR>These findings suggest that vertigo is accompanied by changes in the excitability of motor nerves. These changes are somehow related to the muscle stiffening that results from vertigo.
RESUMEN
Aim: AS stated in the past reports that approx, 75% of hralthy adulte have experienced it, headache is a symptom often experienced in the crinical peactice of acupuncture.<br>Effects of acupunctural therapy against headache hace already been reported in many cases, but few reports hace been published so far on the use of acupunctural stimulation for the purpose of diagnosis. In the past 15 years, we used the acupunctural stimulation dor diagnosis of tinnitus and headache and ecaluated the meanings of uts use.<br>In the present study, we examind the cases whose pains could be reproduced by the acupunctula stimulation in the patients with pain who were introduced to us for diagnosis from the Department of otorhinolaryngology of our hospital.<br>Ptients and method: Of the patients with pain as the chige complaints whise diagmoses were requested to the Oriental Medicine clinic from the Department of Otorhinolaryngology of Showa University since April 1982 up until October 1990, thise whi complained of facial pain were subjected to our diagnosis, previding that they had no abnormalities in the otorhinolaryngological and ophthalmological checks.<br>A stainless steel needle (50mm Mo. 20) was usedfor theusting into block points of greater occiptal nerce and the possible relationship between the pain and the sense of reacting sense was examind at the time of thrusting.<br>Results: 1) It could be reconfirmed that the reacting sensation was produced deep in the inner part and in the epicanthal area of eyes by the neadle thrusting to block points of the greater occipital berce. 2) Ammong the patients who had been teated nefor against trigeminal neuralgia or what were claimed to be pains of eyes of buknown causes, there were cases withe pains coincidental with pathological symptoms such a manner that the reacting sensation by the neadle thrusting (1) resembled the nature of the pain and (2) wads coincidental with that of the affected regions, and (3) the pain could be reproduced by the acupunctural stimulatiom in synchronization with the acupuncturalhandling of the neadle. 3) The efficary of the acupunctueal treatments was higher in those whose pains could be reproducedby the acupunctueal stimulation.<br>Summaary: The stimulations to the block points of the greater occipital berve caused reacting sessation deep in the inner part of eyes. By utilizing this sensation for diagnostic purposes, sone cases could be properly diagnosed. On the ground of these fundungs it can be claimed that the acupunctueal stimulation according to the method in our present study would be one of the useful methods for cheeck of the pain and also for therapeutic treatment in view of the therapeutic meanings of the findings described in the subparagraphe of (1) through (3) in the paragraph 2) and in the paragraph 3) of the above-mentioned “Results”.