orofacial pain can arise from different regions and etiologies. some of the most debilitating pain conditions arise from the structures innervated by the trigeminal system (head, face, masticatory musculature, temporomandibular joint and associated structures). the problem with referred pain is the misdiagnosis and unnecessary therapy directed to the pain location instead of its origin. when cr...

BACKGROUND Referred craniofacial pain of cardiac origin might be the only symptom of ischemic heart accidents. This study aimed to determine the frequency of craniofacial pain in patients with ischemic heart disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS This cross-sectional study was accomplished on 296 patients who met the criteria of having ischemic heart disease. Data regarding demographics, medical histo...

Chronic craniofacial pain involves the head, face and oral cavity and is associated with significant morbidity and high levels of health care utilization. A bidirectional relationship is suggested in the literature for poor sleep and pain, and craniofacial pain and sleep are reciprocally related. We review this relationship and discuss management options. Part I reviews the relationship between...

The association of bruxism with craniofacial pain and symptoms of dysfunction of the masticatory system was assessed in a sample of 483 adult subjects, aged 18-75 years and selected from the general population living in the municipality of Segrate, a metropolitan area in northern Italy. Subjects were interviewed by a questionnaire about oral conditions, occurrence of symptoms of masticatory dis...

OBJECTIVES The aims were to investigate the effects of anterior-posterior upper cervical mobilization (APUCM) on pain modulation in craniofacial and cervical regions and its influence on the sympathetic nervous system. METHODS Thirty-two patients with cervico-craniofacial pain of myofascial origin were randomly allocated into experimental or placebo groups. Each patient received 3 treatments....

We recently found craniofacial pain to be the sole symptom of an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in 4% of patients. We hypothesized that this scenario is also true for symptoms of prodromal (pre-infarction) angina. We studied 326 consecutive patients who experienced myocardial ischemia. Intra-individual variability analyses with respect to ECG findings and pain characteristics were performed ...

Patients presenting with referred dental orofacial pain are not rare in dental clinics. The most common cause for referred dental craniofacial pain is of odontogenic origin. An accurate diagnosis will depend on a comprehensive clinical exam and dental history review. For differential diagnosis, it is critical to consider both the odontognic and nonodontogenic etiology. Once a correct diagnosis ...