Effects of therapeutic exercise and aerobic exercise programmes on pain, anxiety and oral health-related quality of life in patients with temporomandibular disorders

Craniocervical Pain, Sleep Quality, Depressive Symptoms, and Physical Activity in Healthcare Workers During COVID-19 Pandemic

BACKGROUND

An increase in the workload and use of personal protective equipment by healthcare workers was observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the connections between craniocervical structures, symptoms such as neck pain and temporomandibular symptoms could be influenced by the use of PPE.

AIMS

To assess the prevalence of craniocervical pain, sleep quality, physical activity, and depressive symptoms and relationship among craniocervical symptoms in healthcare workers before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

PARTICIPANTS

Healthcare workers.

SETTINGS

An online questionnaire included a self-report of craniocervical pain intensity [orofacial pain, neck pain, and headache (Numerical Rating Scale)], sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire two items) and physical activity (self-report).

METHODS

The sample analysis was performed by descriptive statistics, the paired t-test was used to compare symptoms intensity before and during the pandemic. The relationship between dependent and independent samples was assessed through McNemar test, Pearson's chi-squared test, and Student's independent t-test. A value of p < .05 was adopted as statistical significance.

RESULTS

Overall, 147 participants replied the questionnaires. Headache, neck pain, and orofacial pain complaints increased during the pandemic in healthcare workers (p < 0.001). Craniocervical pain was correlated with poor sleep quality, probable depression, and physical activity during the pandemic (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Healthcare workers self-reported more craniocervical pain during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to before the pandemic. In addition, poor sleep quality, depressive symptoms, and physical inactivity were associated with craniocervical symptoms during this period.

Craniofacial disorders and headaches. A narrative review

OBJECTIVES

Craniofacial- and headache disorders are common co-morbid disorders. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the research discussing craniofacial pain, especially temporomandibular disorders, and its relationship and impact on headaches, as well as suggestions for diagnostic assessment tools and physical therapeutic management strategies.

METHOD

A narrative structured review was performed. A search was conducted in MEDLINE using terms related to craniofacial pain and headaches. Additionally, papers regarding this topic were also extracted from the authors' personal libraries. Any study design (i.e., RCT, observational studies, systematic review, narrative review) that reported the concepts of interest was included, using Covidence. Results were narratively synthesized and described.

RESULTS

From an epidemiological perspective, craniofacial pain and headaches are strongly related and often co-existing. This may be due to the neuroanatomical connection with the trigeminal cervical complex, or due to shared predisposing factors such as age, gender, and psychosocial factors. Pain drawings, questionnaires, and physical tests can be used to determine the cause of pain, as well as other perpetuating factors in patients with headaches and craniofacial pain. The evidence supports different forms of exercise and a combination of hands-on and hands-off strategies aimed at both the craniofacial pain as well as the headache.

CONCLUSION

Headaches may be caused or aggravated by different disorders in the craniofacial region. Proper use of terminology and classification may help in understanding these complaints. Future research should look into the specific craniofacial areas and how headaches may arise from problems from those regions. (249 words).

Psychological Outcomes on Anxiety and Depression after Interventions for Temporomandibular Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Many studies have shown mutual interaction between temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and psychological distress. However, evidence on the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions for TMD on psychological outcomes is scarce. This review aimed to summarise the best evidence on the association between interventions for TMD and psychological outcomes regarding symptoms of anxiety and depression. Electronic search was carried out in databases, including Pubmed, Web of Science, Medline, Cochrane Library, and Scopus. All eligible studies were included for narrative synthesis. Eligible randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were included for the meta-analysis. The overall effect size of interventions for TMD was analysed in standardised mean difference (SMD) in levels of anxiety and depression. Ten studies were included in the systematic review. Of these, nine were included in the narrative analysis and four were included in the meta-analysis. All included studies and the result of the narrative analysis showed a statistically significant beneficial effect of interventions for TMD on improving symptoms of anxiety and depression (p < 0.0001); however, a statistically significant overall effect was not found in the meta-analyses. Current evidence is in favour of the interventions for TMD in improving symptoms of depression and anxiety. However, the effect is statistically uncertain and warrants future studies to enable the best synthesis of the evidence.

Annual review of selected scientific literature: A report of the Committee on Scientific Investigation of the American Academy of Restorative Dentistry

The Scientific Investigation Committee of the American Academy of Restorative Dentistry offers this review of the 2021 dental literature in restorative dentistry to inform busy dentists regarding noteworthy scientific and clinical progress over the past year. Each member of the committee brings discipline-specific expertise to coverage of this broad topical area. Specific subject areas addressed, in order of the appearance in this report, include COVID-19 and the dental profession (new); prosthodontics; periodontics, alveolar bone, and peri-implant tissues; implant dentistry; dental materials and therapeutics; occlusion and temporomandibular disorders; sleep-related breathing disorders; oral medicine and oral and maxillofacial surgery; and dental caries and cariology. The authors focused their efforts on reporting information likely to influence daily dental treatment decisions with an emphasis on future trends in dentistry. With the tremendous volume of dentistry and related literature being published daily, this review cannot possibly be comprehensive. Rather, its purpose is to update interested readers and provide important resource material for those interested in pursuing greater details on their own. It remains our intent to assist colleagues in negotiating the extensive volume of important information being published annually. It is our hope that readers find this work useful in successfully managing the patients and dental problems they encounter.