J Orofac Pain
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Comparative Study
Association between rhythmic masticatory muscle activity during sleep and masticatory myofascial pain: a polysomnographic study.
To test for an association between rhythmic masticatory muscle activity during sleep, as assessed according to polysomnographic criteria for sleep bruxism (RMMA-SB), and myofascial pain (MFP), as well as the chance of occurrence of MFP in patients with RMMA-SB. ⋯ (1) RMMA-SB is significantly associated with MFP; (2) although RMMA-SB represents a risk factor for MFP, this risk is low; and (3) DC probably constitutes a stronger risk factor for MFP than RMMA-SB.
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To provide a snapshot of the scientific literature on orofacial pain. ⋯ This study complements subject reviews of orofacial pain research and provides a more complete picture of the research activity in this field.
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To describe 1 year's experience in treating orofacial pain with intramuscular injections of 0.5% bupivacaine bilateral to the spinous processes of the lower cervical vertebrae. ⋯ This is the first report of a large case series of emergency department patients whose orofacial pain conditions were treated with intramuscular injections of bupivacaine in the paraspinous muscles of the lower neck. The findings suggest that lower cervical paraspinous intramuscular injections with bupivacaine may prove to be a new therapeutic option for acute orofacial pain in the emergency department setting.
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To identify associations between clinical symptoms of temporomandibular joint disorders and radiographic findings. ⋯ Age, gender, and coarse crepitus, but no pain-related variables, were associated with increased risk of degenerative findings in TMJ tomograms. Maximal opening < 40 mm was associated with a posterior condyle-to-articular tubercle relation on opening.
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Comparative Study
A method for clinically defining "improvers" in chronic pain studies.
To test a measurement model based on clinicians' assessments of patient data that allows simple and confident clinical validation of any statistical or numerical technique designed to separate patients improving with treatment from those who are not, particularly for pain that shows large daily variation. ⋯ Visual assessment of VAS demonstrates distinct pain/time patterns that can validate numeric definition of complex pain recovery. No single numeric method can be guaranteed to give a clinically valid outcome.