• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.327-335
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• 2006

Generally, Tension-Type Headache(TTH) patients exhibit muscle pain, but can also have TMJ pain, which includes mouth opening limitation or joint sounds. The purpose of our study is to observe the clinical pain characteristics between TTH patients with muscle pain and TMJ pain. One hundred sixty-seven patients were diagnosed with TTH according to the questionnaires based on the International Headache Society's proposal on the diagnostic criteria of TTH. The patients were classified into three group; arthralgia group (18 patients), myalgia group (50 patients) and arthromyalgia group (99 patients). TTH patients with pericranial muscle pain were classified in the myalgia group. TTH patients with temporal region pain were classified in the arthralgia group. TTH patients with both types of pain were classified in the arthromyalgia group. The parameters in the diagnostic criteria such as quality, intensity, laterality of pain, and aggravation due to physical activities were compared among the three groups. 1. There were no significant differences in the quality of pain among the three groups. 2. There were no significant differences in the intensity of pain among the three groups. 3. There were no significant differences in the laterality of pain among the three groups. 4. A higher percentage of patients in the arthromyalgia group experienced headaches that were aggravated due to physical activity (p=0.03) compared to the other groups. The results of this study show that TTH patients with both arthralgia (TMJ pain) and myalgia (pericranial muscle pain) are more aggravated by physical activity than TTH patients with either one.