ABSTRACT

Our purpose in this study is to investigate upper cervical segmental dysfunctions in female patients with chronic temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) with and without neck pain and to compare them with those of healthy subjects.

Patients admitted to our hospital with jaw pain were evaluated, and a total of 152 patients and healthy subjects who met the inclusion criteria for the study were divided into 3 groups: TMD with neck pain (n = 94), TMD without neck pain (n = 28) and control (n = 30). Patients with myofascial pain (category I) or disc displacements (category II) were diagnosed based on the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD) guidelines. Upper cervical segmental dysfunctions were identified using functional and pain provocation tests in patients with TMD and healthy subjects.

When patients with TMD were classified, there was a significant difference between TMD with neck pain (category I, 62.8%; category II, 37.2%) and TMD without neck pain (category I, 28.6%; category II, 71.4%) groups (p = 0.002). A statistically significant dysfunction [difference] was found in all upper cervical segments in favor of the TMD with neck pain group compared to the group with TMD without neck pain and healthy control group (p < 0.05). In the neck pain group with TMD , occiput-C1, C1-C2, and C2-C3 segment dysfunctions were detected in 51.1%, 81.9% and 53.2% of the patients, respectively.

Upper cervical segmental dysfunction rate was higher in TMD group with neck pain than those without and healthy control group.

Keywords: neck pain, myofascial pain syndromes, temporomandibular joint disorders