Prevalence of Myofascial Pain in Masticatory and Neck Muscles in a Specialized Center of Temporomandibular Disorders and Orofacial Pain

Iturriaga, V.; Bornhardt, T.; Hermosilla, L. & Avila, M.

Summary

Myofascial pain is a noninflammatory regional muscle pathology, in craniocervical territory it is classified as temporomandibular disorder. Myofascial pain affects 95% of people with chronic pain disorders and is a common finding in pain centers. One hundred twenty-one charts of patients seen at the clinic of Temporomandibular Disorders and Orofacial Pain at the Universidad de La Frontera Temuco-Chile, were reviewed, identifying the prevalence of myofascial pain and its association with age and sex of the patients. In 80.99% of patients myofascial pain was present, the masseter muscle was the most affected, followed by the temporal and upper trapezius muscles, with frequent bilateral and simultaneous involvement of different muscles. The presence of myofascial pain is not associated with patient age but it is associated with the sex of these, where women have this condition more often. It is important to make a correct diagnosis of myofascial pain in patients presenting with pain in this area and it is even more crucial to be aware of its high prevalence.

KEY WORDS: myofascial pain syndromes, temporomandibular joint dysfunction syndrome, myofascial trigger points, temporomandibular joint disorders, frequency.

How to cite this article

ITURRIAGA, V.; BORNHARDT, T.; HERMOSILLA, L. & AVILA, M. Prevalence of myofascial pain in masticatory and neck muscles in a specialized center of temporomandibular disorders and orofacial pain. Int. J. Odontostomat., 8(3):413-416, 2014.