A retrospective analysis of the headache associated with temporomandibular joint disorder.

BACKGROUND

Headache is a common symptom, that can be extremely disabling, affecting 26 million of patients only in Italy. ICHD-II has reported two categories: "primary headaches" and "secondary headaches". Temporomandibular joint disorders can lead to a secondary headaches.

AIM

We want to evaluate the prevalence and clinical features of headache among a series of patients having temporomandibular joint disorders and we illustrate the evolution of headache following medical treatament of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This is a retrospective study carried out on chart review of 426 consecutive patients with various degrees of temporomandibular disorders and treated with medical devices from 2007 to 2011.

RESULTS

Headache was reported by 73 patients (17.14%). Headache was observed in 36 of 51 patients with lock and in 32 out of 130 patients with mandibular deflections (Table I). The remaining 5 patients with headache had articular noise.

CONCLUSIONS

Headache is not a rare finding in a population with temporomandibular dysfunctions and is more often a tension-type rather than trigeminal headache.