Abstract

A study in Journal of American Medical Association estimate that 27.3 percent of females and 13.9 percent of males suffer from headaches. However, headache is still major conditions for which people are least satisfied with their medical care. The anatomical and physiological basis for the contribution of the cervical spine to chronic headaches has been well estimated not only tension headache but also migraine. In our view, pathogenesis of headache of cervical origin is closely related segmental spinal denervation supersensitivity due to spondylosis and attenuation of descending inhibitory influence. Segmental dry needling technique(IMS) has been regarded as effective treatment on the neuropathy due to denervation supersensitivity by Canon’s law. More study is needed to clarify the exact physiology of cervicogenic headache. Korean Journal of Headache 2(2):157-167, 2001