ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:
Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder is a musculoskeletal disorder that causes the exacerbation of painful sensation during function and the presence of sensitivity/pain to palpation of the masticatory muscles and/or TMJ. People with pain complaints in the head, neck, shoulder or lower back may present signs and symptoms of TMJ disorders, sharing sleep disturbances, forgetfulness or difficulty concentrating, abdominal pain and differences in fecal consistency. Studies have also shown that TMJ disorders can be associated with emotional distress and multiple comorbidities related to central sensitization (CS). This, in turn, is responsible for producing hypersensitivity to pain, altering the sensory response. The pathophysiology of CS in TMJ disorders is not yet well understood. Thus, it is the scope of this review to synthesize knowledge about the relationship between CS and Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD) and describe the comorbidities most frequently found in this profile of patients.
CONTENTS:
TMJ disorders do not seem to occur in isolation. Comorbidities such as migraine, tension headache, fatigue, dizziness, tinnitus and allergies have been reported. Hyperexcitability in central nociceptive processing is part of the pathophysiology of TMJ disorder, which could explain the greater sensitivity to pain in other areas of the body in these individuals, characterizing a CS process.
CONCLUSION:
The most frequently reported comorbid conditions are headache, psychological factors, allergies, irritable bowel syndrome, and sleep disturbances. It is admitted that CS is a neurophysiological phenomenon present in some chronic pain disorders, including TMD.
Keywords:
Central nervous system sensitization; Chronic pain; Myofascial pain syndromes; Temporomandibular joint disorders