J Orofac Pain
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Comparative Study
Comparison of algometry and palpation in the recognition of temporomandibular disorder pain complaints.
To determine the construct validity of algometry and to compare it with that of palpation, and to compare tenderness of masticatory muscle sites and the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) on palpation and on algometry. ⋯ Construct validity of algometry in the recognition of TMD pain complaints is comparable to that of palpation, and differences in tenderness on palpation and on algometry are found between masticatory muscle sites and the TMJ.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Venlafaxine in the treatment of atypical facial pain: a randomized controlled trial.
To study in a randomized placebo-controlled design the efficacy of the antidepressant venlafaxine, a serotonin and a weak noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor, in the treatment of atypical facial pain (AFP). ⋯ Venlafaxine was only modestly effective in the treatment of AFP.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
The additional value of a home physical therapy regimen versus patient education only for the treatment of myofascial pain of the jaw muscles: short-term results of a randomized clinical trial.
To compare the short-term efficacy of patient education only versus the combination of patient education and home exercises for the treatment of myofascial pain of the jaw muscles. ⋯ Over a period of 3 months, the combination of education and a home physical therapy regimen, as used in this protocol, is slightly more clinically effective than education alone for the treatment of myofascial pain of the jaw muscles.
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Chronic orofacial pain represents a diagnostic and treatment challenge for the clinician. Some conditions, such as atypical facial pain, still lack proper diagnostic criteria, and their etiology is not known. The recent development of neurophysiological methods and quantitative sensory testing for the examination of the trigeminal somatosensory system offers several tools for diagnostic and etiological investigation of orofacial pain. ⋯ By combining different techniques for investigation of the trigeminal system, an accurate topographical diagnosis and profile of sensory fiber pathology can be determined. Neurophysiological and quantitative sensory tests have already highlighted some similarities among various orofacial pain conditions and have shown heterogeneity within clinical diagnostic categories. With the aid of neurophysiological recordings and quantitative sensory testing, it is possible to approach a mechanism-based classification of orofacial pain.