Self-Reported Migraine and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Are More Prevalent in People with Myofascial vs Nonmyofascial Temporomandibular Disorders

Abstract

To compare the number of comorbidities and the prevalence of five specific comorbidities in people who have temporomandibular disorders (TMD) with or without myofascial pain. This cross-sectional study included 180 patients seeking TMD treatment in Boston and Montreal hospitals. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on sociodemographic and behavioral factors, as well as the presence of the following five comorbidities: migraine, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, interstitial cystitis, and restless leg syndrome. TMD was diagnosed using the Research Diagnostic Criteria for TMD. Chi-square and Student t tests were used for categorical and continuous variables, respectively, to test for differences between myofascial (n = 121) and nonmyofascial (n = 59) TMD groups. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to compare the type and number of self-reported comorbidities in both groups, controlling for confounding variables. The following were found to be significantly higher in the myofascial TMD group than in the nonmyofascial TMD group: self-reported migraine (55% vs 28%, P = .001), chronic fatigue syndrome (19% vs 5%, P = .01), and the mean total number of comorbidities (1.30 vs 0.83, P = .01). Individuals with myofascial TMD had a higher prevalence of self-reported migraine and chronic fatigue syndrome than those with nonmyofascial TMD.