Evaluation of pain threshold upon palpation of the masticatory muscles in women with temporomandibular disorder according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria of Temporomandibular Disorders

• Published in: Revista CEFAC
• Main Authors: Carolina Marciela Herpich, Fabiano Politti, Cid Andre Fidelis de Paula Gomes, Igor Phillip dos Santos Gloria, Ana Paula Amaral, Maitê de Freitas Rocha de Souza Amaral, Graciela Herpich, Sandra Bussadori Kalil, Tabajara de Oliveira Gonzalez, Daniela Aparecida Biasotto-Gonzalez
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Associação Brasileira de Motricidade Orofacial - ABRAMO
• Subjects: Transtornos da Articulação Temporomandibular; Modalidades de Fisioterapia; Síndromes da Dor Miofascial
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-18462018000200175&lng=en&tlng=en

ABSTRACT Purpose: to evaluate the pain threshold upon palpation of the masticatory muscles in women with temporomandibular disorder (TMD) according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria of Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD). Methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted involving the evaluation of pain threshold upon palpation of the extraoral muscles (temporal, masseter, posterior mandibular region, submandibular region) and intraoral muscles (lateral pterygoid area and temporal tendon) in women using the RDC/TMD clinical examination. Results: 60 women were evaluated. Statistically significant differences were found among the muscles evaluated regarding the pain threshold. The lateral pterygoid area, bilaterally, had the lowest pain threshold, followed by the masseter and temporal muscles. Conclusion: this study suggests that the lateral pterygoid muscle, bilaterally, has the lowest pain threshold upon palpation among the masticatory muscles, followed by masseter and temporal muscles, in women with TMD, according to the RDC/TMD evaluation.