• Lívia Maria Sales Pinto, João José Freitas de Carvalho, Carolina O Cunha, Rafael Dos Santos Silva, Jorge Francisco Fiamengui-Filho, and Paulo César Rodrigues Conti.
• Department of Prosthodontics, Bauru School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, Bauru, São Paulo, Brazil. livia_holanda_@hotmail.com
• Clin J Pain. 2013 Apr 1;29(4):362-5.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the influence of myofascial pain on the Pressure Pain Threshold (PPT) of masticatory muscles in women with migraine.MethodsThe sample comprised 101 women, ages ranging from 18 to 60 years, with an episodic migraine diagnosis previously confirmed by a neurologist. All patients were evaluated using Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders to determine the presence of myofascial pain and were divided into 2 groups: group I (n=56), comprising women with a migraine, and group II (n=45), comprising women with a migraine and myofascial pain. Two more groups (49 asymptomatic women and 50 women with myofascial pain), matched for sex and race, obtained from a previous study, were added to this study. The PPT values of masseter and temporalis (anterior, middle, and posterior regions) muscles were recorded bilaterally using a pressure algometer. One-way analysis of variance and the Tukey test for pairwise comparisons were used in statistical analysis with a 5% significance level.ResultsWe found that all groups had significantly lower PPT values compared with asymptomatic women, with lower values seen in group II (women with migraine and myofascial pain). Women with a migraine and myofascial pain showed significantly lower PPT values compared with women with a migraine only, and also when compared with women with myofascial pain only.DiscussionMigraine, especially when accompanied by myofascial pain, reduces the PPT of masticatory muscles, suggesting the importance of masticatory muscle palpation during examination of patients with migraine.

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