目前不論基礎或臨床學者對於纖維肌痛症都在尋找有效的治療方式，目前建議使用的藥物如Pregabalin、Duloxetine、Milnacipran等仍是效果不彰且具相當副作用如頭痛、噁心、腹瀉等，在這重要的議題上傳統中醫針灸可謂是具有高度療效的治療方式。纖維肌痛症可能源自組織酸化、組織缺血、發炎等，雖然目前疼痛的機轉已被大量研究(如圖一)，但纖維肌痛症詳細原因與機轉仍是未知。纖維肌痛症患者常見周邊組織疼痛過敏化接著引起組織酸化、痛覺接受器活化以及免疫反應的相關物質釋放。針灸長久以來常應用於治療疼痛，但至今其對治療纖維肌痛症的機制依舊是未知的，我們注射酸性生理食鹽水來引發小鼠纖維肌痛症，進一步運用針刺回縮反應來探討纖維肌痛症的誘發與電針足三里穴位止痛的效果，更進一步運用西方墨點法來觀察電針調控第三型酸敏性離子通道作用與機轉。我們結果顯示不同頻率電針(2、15、50赫茲)皆可以有效地減緩纖維肌痛症所導致的機械性疼痛反應。我們進一步觀察背根神經節中第三型酸離子通道的改變，結果顯示第三型酸離子通道、1.7型鈉離子通道、1.8型鈉離子通道都會因引發小鼠纖維肌痛症而增加，我們的結果顯示電針俱有治療纖維肌痛症的疼痛反應且其結果是透過減少第三型酸離子通道、1.7型鈉離子通道、1.8型鈉離子通道，在中樞脊髓方面亦是透過第三型酸離子通道、1.7型鈉離子通道、1.8型鈉離子通道，這些結果可以提供於臨床研究，找出更多有關纖維肌痛症的療效與分子機轉，以期待可以治療纖維肌痛症所導致的疼痛現象。
Basic researchers and medical doctors are searching for better therapy for fibromyalgia (FM). Several drugs including Pregabalin, Duloxetine, Milnacipran are recommended to treat FM but with some side effects such as headache, nausea, and diarrhea. At this point, traditional Acupuncture has advantages in curing this symptom. FM may result from tissue acidosis, ischemia, and inflammation. Even the mechanisms of pain is well documented, the real understanding of FM is unclear. Tissue acidosis, activation of nociceptive response, and immune-mediator release are often observed in FM patients. Acupuncture is used for treating pain but its effect in FM pain is unknown. Here we injected acid saline into muscle to induce mice FM pain and further examine if electroacupuncture (EA) can reduce FM pain through electronic von Frey filament test. We next use western blot technique to verify if ASIC3 and related molecules were changed in this process. Our results showed that different frequency EA (2Hz, 15Hz, 50Hz) could reduce FM pain. We further identified that ASIC3, Nav1.7, and Nav1.8 were up- regulated in DRG from FM mice. Similar results can also be obtained in central SC level. These data supported the therapeutic effect and mechanisms of EA. We indicated that these finding could be clinically used for treating FM pain.
