More Head/Neck Issues: TMD Increased in Fibromyalgia - Not Associated with Anxiety

[Cort]

Patients with fibromyalgia are affected to a greater extent by craniomandibular disorders, with lower mouth opening and higher pain levels than healthy persons. However, the anxiety levels of the two groups are similar.​

The mandible area in FM is more tight and painful than in healthy controls. The authors noted that the pain in FM is primarily experienced in the muscles and vertebral column. That muscle tightness and pain obviously extend to the mouth region. The question is why? I wonder if they speculated about that...

J Clin Exp Dent. 2015 Apr 1;7(2):e293-8. doi: 10.4317/jced.51816. eCollection 2015. Case-control study of craniomandibular disorders in patients with fibromyalgia. García-Moya EJ1, Montiel-Company JM2, Almerich-Silla JM3.
BACKGROUND:

Fibromyalgia is a clinical syndrome characterized by chronic widespread pain, which is non-articular and is predominantly experienced in the muscles and vertebral column, and by extensive heightened sensitivity to local pressure at many specific points The purpose of this study was to measure differences in the level of painful symptoms and in the movements of the mandible in a group of patients who had been diagnosed as suffering from fibromyalgia, in comparison with a control group. The anxiety and subjective pain levels and their relation with mandibular mobility were also compared.
MATERIAL AND METHODS:

A case-control study was designed. The temporomandibular joints and masticatory muscles of the cases (n=20) and controls (n=18) were examined, anxiety was assessed by the STAI index and subjective pain was measured on a visual analogue scale. The data analysis was carried out with SPSS v.19.0 software. The descriptive data were expressed as means and proportions at a 95% confidence interval. The proportions were compared with the chi-square test and the means with the Mann-Whitney U test. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to measure the association between quantitative variables.
RESULTS:

The fibromyalgia patients (the case group) presented a higher level of pain following the musculoskeletal examination and significantly greater symptoms at the examination points. Regarding joint mobility, significant differences in mandibular opening were found (cases 43.4 mm vs controls 47.2 mm, p = 0.042). The mean pain score of the cases was significantly higher than that of the controls (4.03 vs 1.8, p = 0.001) but no significant differences were found in the anxiety index (23.8 vs 23.4).
CONCLUSIONS:

patients with fibromyalgia are affected to a greater extent by craniomandibular disorders, with lower mouth opening and higher pain levels than healthy persons. However, the anxiety levels of the two groups are similar. Key words:Fibromyalgia, orofacial pain, temporomandibular disorder.

 

[Issie]

Just a little FYI. Some have developed TMJ while on SSRIs.

For me, TMJ is EDS connected. I've said before - I wonder if EDS and FMS are one and the same. I have the DX for both.

Issie

 

[Carole]

Just a little FYI. Some have developed TMJ while on SSRIs.

For me, TMJ is EDS connected. I've said before - I wonder if EDS and FMS are one and the same. I have the DX for both.

Issie

Issie as a Reg Dental Hygienist that worked for years with a TMJ specialist , I can tell you it can render people helpless.
We had 2 Physicians that had to give up their practices because of TMJ. This was about 10 years ago.

I have it also- I knew enough to have a splint made to wear at night to keep me from grinding my teeth. Stress also plays a role. PT helped me also. I refused anything but low dose Flexaril (1/4) tablet at night and mine dissipated. It starts coming back with stress and usually in my neck first. Also go to soft foods when you have a flare.

I know quite a few specialist in it here in the SE and have a good one.

They used to think that was all in our minds too...

Also have to have adjustments on my splint periodically. Just fits on the top teeth. The top jaw is stationary-the lower Mandible moves so they use splint on the top.

The trick is to use a good TMJ specialist that someone else can refr you to that has the problem.

XO

Carole