title: Is there a relationship between head posture and craniomandibular pain?
abstract: An often-suggested factor in the aetiology of craniomandibular disorders (CMD) is an anteroposition of the head. However, the results of clinical studies to the relationship between CMD and head posture are contradictory. Therefore, the first aim of this study was to determine differences in head posture between well-defined CMD pain patients with or without a painful cervical spine disorder and healthy controls. The second aim was to determine differences in head posture between myogenous and arthrogenous CMD pain patients and controls. Two hundred and fifty persons entered the study. From each person, a standardized oral history was taken and blind physical examinations of the masticatory system and of the neck were performed. The participants were only included into one of the subgroups when the presence or absence of their symptoms was confirmed by the results of the physical examination. Head posture was quantified using lateral photographs and a lateral radiograph of the head and the cervical spine. After correction for age and gender effects, no difference in head posture was found between any of the patient and non-patient groups (P > 0.27). Therefore, this study does not support the suggestion that painful craniomandibular disorders, with or without a painful cervical spine disorder, are related to head posture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Function, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Visscher
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: De Boer
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lobbezoo
authors.forename: L L M H
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Habets
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Naeije
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001168:Arthritis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D017271:Craniomandibular Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006257:Head / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008409:Mastication; D008875:Middle Aged; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D011187:Posture; D011859:Radiography; D012737:Sex Factors; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging