Association Between Chronic Tension-Type Headache Coexistent with Chronic Temporomandibular Disorder Pain and Limitations in Physical and Emotional Functioning: A Case-Control Study.

AIMS: To assess the association between chronic tension-type headache coexistent with chronic temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain and severe limitations in physical and emotional functioning.

METHODS: Sample size estimation was used to determine that this case-control study should include 126 subjects. Subjects suffering from chronic TMD who were aged between 18 and 68 were recruited in routine clinical practice. Of the 126 included subjects, 63 had TMD pain associated with chronic tension-type headache (cases) and 63 had TMD pain without a history of tension-type headache (controls). Clinical diagnosis of TMD was made according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria for TMD (RDC/TMD) Axis I criteria, and clinical diagnosis of headache was made according to the International Classification of Headache (ICHD-II). RDC/TMD Axis II criteria were applied to record the scores from the Graded Chronic Pain Scale (GCPS) and the Symptoms Checklist-90-Revised Depression (SCL-DEP) and Somatization (SCL-SOM) scales. A logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between TMD pain with chronic tension-type headache and high levels of depression and somatization severity as scored on the SCLDEP and SCL-SOM scales, respectively, and high pain-related disability (GCPS grade III or IV). Data were adjusted to take into account age, gender, time since TMD pain onset, chronic TMD pain intensity, and characteristic pain intensity.

RESULTS: The presence of chronic tension-type headache was significantly associated with severe SCL-DEP (odds ratio [OR] = 7.2; P < .001), severe SCLSOM (OR = 13.8; P < .001), and high pain-related disability (OR = 9.7; P < .001).

CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence of associations between the clinical diagnosis of chronic tension-type headache coexistent with chronic TMD pain and key aspects of physical and emotional functioning reflected in severe depression, severe somatization, and high pain-related disability.