What is it about?
We examined the relationships among masticatory muscle tension, stress, and temporomandibular myalgia pain. Over 7,000 observations from 171 participants were obtained using ecological momentary assessment, an assessment strategy that minimizes recall bias. The results showed that masticatory muscle activation explains up to 69% of the variance in reports of facial pain. The results suggest that management of masticatory muscle tension and other oral parafunctions should be an important part of the conservative, noninvasive care of individuals diagnosed with the myofascial temporomandibular disorder pain.
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Why is it important?
Using a sophisticated data gathering strategy, we showed that masticatory muscle activation explains up to 69% of the variance in facial pain. Masticatory muscle activation is powerfully related to facial pain.
Perspectives
The methodology used in this study, especially the use of longitudinal multilevel modeling, may be unfamiliar and daunting to readers. However, the finds are clear: Masticatory muscle activation plays a major role in temporomandibular disorder myalgia pain.
Dr Alan G Glaros
university of missouri-kansas city
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Longitudinal Multilevel Modeling of Facial Pain, Muscle Tension, and Stress, Journal of Dental Research, January 2016, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/0022034515625216.
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