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Headache disability in orofacial pain patients
William E Dando1, Morris A Branch, John P Maye
1Orofacial Pain Center, Naval Postgraduate Dental School, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA.
Headache
|February 24, 2006
Summary
Many orofacial pain patients suffer from headaches, significantly impacting their quality of life. Evaluating headache history and disability is crucial for comprehensive orofacial pain management.
Area of Science:
- Investigates the intersection of orofacial pain and headache comorbidities.
- Focuses on headache-related disability assessment in a specialized pain clinic setting.
Background:
- Over 81% of patients with orofacial pain report concurrent pain elsewhere.
- Common headache comorbidities include migraines, tension-type, and chronic daily headaches.
- The extent of disability from these headaches in orofacial pain patients was previously unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To retrospectively analyze headache history in patients seeking orofacial pain treatment.
- To assess the level of disability caused by headaches in this patient cohort.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of patient records at the Orofacial Pain Center (Sept 2003 - Dec 2004).
- Utilized the Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) questionnaire for disability assessment.
- Analyzed data from 426 patients presenting for orofacial pain evaluation.
Main Results:
- 61.3% of patients reported a headache complaint; 38% met criteria for migraine.
- The mean MIDAS score was 23.68 among patients who completed the assessment.
- Significantly higher MIDAS scores were observed in patients with masticatory and/or cervical myalgia.
Conclusions:
- Headaches are a common and disabling comorbidity in patients with orofacial pain.
- Routine evaluation of headache history and disability is essential for effective orofacial pain management.
