Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 27, 2026
Temporomandibular Joint Pain Measurement by Bite Force and Von Frey Filament Assays in Mice
Published on: September 13, 2024
Risk of headache, temporomandibular dysfunction, and local sensitization in male professional boxers: a case-control
Miguel Mendoza-Puente1, Ángel Oliva-Pascual-Vaca2, Cleofás Rodriguez-Blanco2
1University Center of Health Sciences San Rafael-Nebrija, University Antonio de Nebrija, Madrid, Spain.
Objective:
To evaluate differences in the incidence of headache, trigeminal nerve mechanosensitivity, and temporomandibular functionality in professional male boxers (exposed to repetitive craniofacial trauma) who were actively training and without severe previous injuries compared with handball players.
Design:
Case-control study.
Setting:
University-based physical therapy research clinic.
Participants:
Eighteen boxers (mean age, 23±4.61y) as the cases group, and 20 handball players as the comparison group (mean age, ±2y, and sex matched), were included. All participants (N=38) completed the assessment protocol.
Interventions:
Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measures:
Measurements were taken of the headache impact (Headache Impact Test-6) and the pressure pain threshold over the trigeminal nerve sensory branches, the masseter muscle, and the tibialis anterior muscle. The secondary outcome measure included the temporomandibular function (Helkimo Clinic Index).
Results:
The boxers showed slight mandibular function impairment, local muscular and neural sensitization, and a higher impact from headaches than did the handball players. The between-group comparison found significant differences in all outcome measures (P<.05), except in the tibialis anterior muscle pressure pain threshold on the dominant (P=.958) and the nondominant (P=.453) sides.
Conclusions:
Professional male boxers seem to suffer a greater headache impact and local sensitization of the craniomandibular region than do professional handball players. It cannot be determined whether these findings are short-lasting, as a result of the training activity, or long-lasting.
