Tension-Caused Cephalalgia

  • Fabiana Mansur Varjão Case Western Reserve University
  • Janaina Habib Jorge UEPG
  • Karin Hermana Nepelenbroek UEPG
  • Francisco Guedes Pereira de Alencar Júnior UNESP

Abstract

Cephalalgia, any pain in the cephalic segment, may be divided into primary cephalalgia when pain is not the symptom of another pathology, and secondary when pain originates from such a change. Tensional cephalalgia is one of the commonest types of primary cephalalgia. The temporal, frontal and supra-orbital regions are among the most common areas in which pain is installed. Since it is frequently associated with myofascial pain, triggered within the region of the masticatory and/or cervical muscles, the surgeon dentist is entitled to work out the differential diagnosis and consequent application of treatment procedures. The latter includes pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments coupled to pain prevention and abortive measures. The physiopathology and clinical characteristics of tensional cephalalgia, episodic and casual cephalalgia, and mixed cephalalgia are discussed. The latter is a type of cephalalgia in which the patient presents the symptoms of migraine and tensional cephalalgia together. Therapeutic methods, such as counseling, changes in behavior, physiotherapy, medicine, occlusive plaques and trigger point injections are analyzed.

Author Biographies

Fabiana Mansur Varjão, Case Western Reserve University
Doutora em Reabilitação Oral – Área de Prótese da Faculdade de Odontologia de Araraquara – UNESP. Docente Assistente do Department of Comprehensive Care Case School of Dental Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, EUA. E-mail: fabiana.varjao@case.edu
Janaina Habib Jorge, UEPG
Docente Adjunto da Disciplina de Oclusão do Departamento de Odontologia da Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa – UEPG. E-mail: janainahj@bol.com.br
Karin Hermana Nepelenbroek, UEPG
Docente Adjunto da Disciplina de Prótese Dental I do Departamento de Odontologia da Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa – UEPG – Docente Doutor das Disciplinas de Prótese Total I e II e Clínica Integrada Reabilitadora I da Faculdade de Odontologia de Bauru – FOB-USP. E-mail: khnepp@yahoo.com.br
Francisco Guedes Pereira de Alencar Júnior, UNESP
Docente Assistente Doutor do Departamento. de Materiais Odontológicos e Prótese na Disciplina de Oclusão e Desordens Temporomandibulares da Faculdade de Odontologia de Araraquara – UNESP. Docente Assistente de Occlusion, TMD and Orofacial Pain, Marquette University School of Dentsitry, Milwaukee, WI, EUA. E-mail: fguedes00@yahoo.com
Section
Artigos de Revisão