How to Investigate and Treat: Migraine in Patients with Temporomandibular Disorders

• Published in: Current pain and headache reports Vol. 16; no. 4; pp. 359 - 364
• Main Authors: Gonçalves, Daniela A. G., Camparis, Cinara M., Franco, Ana Lucia, Fernandes, Giovana, Speciali, José G., Bigal, Marcelo E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Current Science Inc 01.08.2012; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Chronic Pain - epidemiology; Comorbidity; Diagnosis, Differential; Facial Pain - epidemiology; Facial Pain - etiology; Facial Pain - physiopathology; Female; Humans; Internal Medicine; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Migraine Disorders - epidemiology; Migraine Disorders - etiology; Migraine Disorders - physiopathology; Pain; Pain Measurement; Pain Medicine; Prevalence; Section editor; Temporomandibular Joint Disorders - complications; Temporomandibular Joint Disorders - epidemiology; Temporomandibular Joint Disorders - physiopathology; Uncommon Headache Syndromes (ME Bigal; United States - epidemiology; United States; Temporomandibular disorders; Headache secondary to temporomandibular disorders; Comorbidity; Migraine
• ISSN: 1531-3433; 1534-3081
• DOI: 10.1007/s11916-012-0268-9

Migraine and temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are highly prevalent conditions that frequently coexist in the same patient. The relationship between migraine and TMD is complex. Migraineurs often have pain in the TMD area; TMD sufferers, in turn, often experience headaches in addition to the pain in the jaw. Finally, migraine and TMD are comorbid, and the final phenotype of patients with the comorbidity may represent the aggregated contribution of both. Herein we briefly discuss the clinical commonalities of migraine and TMD, and the differential diagnosis of these conditions with other causes of facial pain. We close by presenting our experience in the treatment of patients with the comorbidity.