Recognition of specific antigenic peptides by T-cell receptors triggers sensitization and the following adaptive immune response.
In the migraine headache literature, a case has been made for prolonged exposure to headache triggers to facilitate desensitization of trigger-sensitization hypothesized to develop through long-term avoidance.
Subsequently the chronically reduced peptide level may be a trigger for sensitization and altered nociception.
The spontaneous activity in A fibres can trigger central sensitization in the spinal cord, which amplifies the input and contributes to neuropathic pain sensations (Michael et al., 1999; Molander et al., 1994; Noguchi et al., 1995).
It is accepted that prolonged nociception from peripheral tissues, i.e., muscles, is the main responsible for triggering centralized sensitization mechanisms and the evolution from the episodic to the chronic form [6, 30].
Possible triggers for sensitization of the spinal cord have extensively been discussed, such as wind-up or temporal summation, dysregulated descending inhibitory pathways, and upregulated facilitatory modulation.
8. Fernández-de-Las-Peñas C, Cuadrado ML, Arendt-Nielsen L, et al. Myofascial trigger points and sensitization: An updated pain model for tension-type headache.
Other events, including intestinal infections or influenza, may trigger or facilitate sensitization and thus development of a food allergy.
This seems to be the most effective means of decreasing postoperative pain, because surgical incision alone is not the only trigger for central sensitization.
Positive skin test results or increased serum specific IgE levels to potential triggering allergens confirm sensitization but do not confirm the diagnosis of anaphylaxis because asymptomatic sensitization is common in the general population.
