Orofacial Pain of Muscular Origin - from Pathophysiology to Treatment

Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) is a collective term embracing a group of conditions that affect the masticatory system. The most prominent symptom is pain over the masticatory muscles and/or the temporomandibular joints, and it has been shown that pain affects jaw motor control. TMD is often accompanied by pain upon chewing and restricted mouth opening, muscle soreness and headaches, therefore affecting quality of life considerably, although it is not life threatening. Furthermore, patients with TMD pain of muscular origin usually report their pain as an exercise-alike pain, which is also often accompanied by a component of fatigue or exertion. TMD has been shown to have a prevalence of approximately 5-12% in the adult population and is 1.5 to 2 times more prevalent in women. The precise relationship between pain and jaw function is still unknown. There are different theories trying to explain their relation, however several studies have failed to prove the fundamentals of these theories. There is still limited knowledge regarding sex-, age-, and/or tissue-differences in the neurophysiology of the healthy human orofacial muscles and also about the pathophysiology of TMD-pain of muscular origin. Thus, diagnosis of TMD is not mechanism-based but relies on certain combinations of symptoms and signs. Therefore, multimodal treatments are recommended, such as counseling, jaw exercises, biofeedback, behavior medicine and not least occlusal appliances. However, the mechanisms of action for the present approaches to treatment are still unclear and highly debated.

This Research Topic aims to increase the knowledge of a common and bothersome condition within the field of oral health, to provide new insights in the etiology/pathophysiology of muscular pains as well as to establish grounds for improved and novel treatment approaches.

This collection welcomes articles that cover all aspects of orofacial pain conditions of muscular origin, including tension type headaches as well as headaches attributed to TMD. From prevalence/incidence, to etiology and pathophysiology, functional impairments and treatment approaches including both in animal and human studies. Both original articles and systematic reviews are welcomed