Abstract
Introduction
Temporomandibular disorders present a variety of signs and symptoms that affect the temporomandibular joint, masticatory muscles and related structures, and many patients have cervical complaints.
Objective
To verify the correlation of pain on palpation of the mastication muscles (masseter, anterior temporal, lateral and medial pterygoid), and digastric muscles with the complaint of neck pain; to verify the correlation of pain on palpation in the masticatory and digastric muscles with pain on palpation in the sternocleidomastoid and trapezius and if the correlation strength is different between them.
Material and method
From 2011 to 2013, 232 medical records from the dental clinic of Temporomandibular Disorders of the Faculty of Dentistry of Araçatuba were evaluated. The data collected were submitted to statistical analysis, with alpha (α) = 0.01 for all cases, except digastric when associated with the trapezoid (α) = 0.05.
Result
Most patients were female. There was a positive correlation between pain on palpation in the temporal, masseter, lateral pterygoid, sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles, and complaints of neck pain. There was also a positive correlation between pain in all muscles of mastication (masseter, temporal, lateral and medial pterygoid), and digastric and sternocleidomastoid pain. As well as the correlation of the presence of pain in the masseter, temporal, lateral pterygoid and digastric muscles with pain in the trapezius. Pain correlation was strongest for the sternocleidomastoid muscle, except for the lateral pterygoid.
Conclusion
There is a positive correlation between the complaint of pain on palpation in the masticatory muscles, except Medial pterygoid, with the cervical muscles (sternocleidomastoid and trapezius). The strength of correlation between masseter and anterior temporal pain with the sternocleidomastoid is stronger than with the trapezius.
Descriptors:
Neck pain; muscle, skeletal; stomatognathic system; myalgia; masticatory muscles