Relationships between risk factors and treatment outcome in a group of patients with temporomandibular disorders.
The aim of this study was to compare somatic complaints, anxiety, and pain related to temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in a group of TMD patients who had high scores for headache and muscle palpation compared with that of a group of TMD patients who had low or medium scores for headache and palpation before and 2 years after conservative TMD treatment, consisting of counseling, muscle exercises, and a stabilization splint. The high-score group consisted of 23 patients who had headaches several times a week or daily and had more than three muscles graded as severely tender to palpation. The low/medium-score group comprised 28 patients who had headaches hardly ever, once or twice a month, or several times a month, and with muscles graded as slightly or medium tender to palpation. The patients answered three questionnaires (McGill Pain Questionnaire [Norwegian version], a somatic complaints questionnaire, and the trait part of Spielberger Stait-Trait Anxiety Inventory) before and 2 years after treatment. The findings showed differences between the two groups concerning pain description, general muscle complaints, and anxiety both before and after the treatment, with the high-score group showing the highest values. In general, the treatment outcome had improved in the low/medium-score group but remained unchanged in the high-score group.
Krogstad
B S
BS
Department of Prosthetic Dentistry and Stomatognathic Physiology, University of Oslo, Faculty of Dentistry, Norway.
Jokstad
A
A
Dahl
B L
BL
Vassend
O
O
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008347:Manifest Anxiety Scale; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010552:Personality Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013706:Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D018781:Tension-Type Headache / Q000523:psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome