Headache diagnoses in patients with orofacial pain at a specialized pain center

Abstract

Background. Headache and orofacial pain (OFP) are widespread at specialized pain centers. However, reliable data on their prevalence and co-occurrence are lacking, and prevalence of OFP in headache patients seems to be underestimated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the types of headache in patients with OFP and types of OFP in patients with headache.Methods. We enrolled patients presenting with headache and/or OFP. Patients were examined by an experienced headache and pain specialist who questioned the patients about the presence of OFP. Depression was assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), anxiety – with the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Bruxism was evaluated based on subject self-report.Results. We recruited 310 patients: 177 (57%) patients with headache, 28 (9%) patients with OFP and 105 (34%) patients presenting with both types of pain. The prevalence of OFP in headache patients was 37.2%. Migraine was the most prevalent type of headache, while painful temporomandibular disorder (TMD) – the most prevalent form of OFP. Patients with PFP presented with a high prevalence of sleep and awake bruxism.Conclusion. Migraine and pain-related TMD are the most prevalent diagnoses in a specialized pain center. OKI and OKI ACT are soluble forms of ketoprofen and reach peak concentration in 15 minutes. This enables faster onset of action compared to conventional NSAIDs and better tolerability. OKI and OKI ACT are recommended in the acute treatment of migraine with comorbid painful TMD.