[Therapy of temporomandibular joint pain: recommendations for clinical management]. / Therapie bei Arthralgie der Kiefergelenke: Empfehlungen zum klinischen Management.

Arthralgias of the temporomandibular joint occur rarely in their isolated form, in contrast to myalgias of the jaw muscles. Most often, arthralgias are combined with myofascial pain. Here we define relevant terms (arthralgia, arthropathy, arthritis, osteoarthritis/osteoarthrosis), describe special diagnostic aspects and provide diagnosis-related specifications. We then present current information on the clinical management of temporomandibular joint pain. A systematic literature search revealed that pain reduction or pain relief can be achieved with non-invasive reversible methods for the majority of patients. Results from short and long-term longitudinal studies show that different therapeutic methods are similarly effective. For the management of chronic forms with extensive psychosocial impairment a multidisciplinary approach is essential.

[Pain drawings of patients with orofacial pain. Comparison of acceptance and gain of information]. / Schemata zur Schmerzeinzeichnung bei Patienten mit orofazialen Schmerzen. Vergleich von Akzeptanz und Informationsgehalt.

AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of this prospective multicentric study was to compare two different types of pain drawings in terms of acceptance and gain of information in patients with orofacial pain. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 204 patients from 9 centers, who visited their dentist or physician for orofacial pain, received two different diagrams for pain drawings in random order. One was the original pain diagram of the Deutsche Schmerzfragebogen (German Pain Questionnaire, diagram A), and the other diagram had been developed to achieve a symmetrical representation of the body and to allow computer-assisted analysis (diagram B). This diagram was larger and contained a drawing of the head. The patients' answers were analyzed for the preference between diagrams, the number and distribution of pain areas, and the concordance between the diagrams. The results were correlated with the patients' data. RESULTS: Data from 183 patients could be analyzed: 100 of 183 patients preferred diagram B and 57 of 183 preferred diagram A, independent of gender, age, or duration of disease. Most patients reported pain in more than one area; in only 43 of 183 patients was the pain limited to the face and head. The number and distribution of pain areas were not different between the two pain diagrams. CONCLUSIONS: Detailed head and body diagrams can be used in the diagnostic evaluation of patients with orofacial pain without fear of placing excessive demands on the patients and are useful for detecting comorbidities.