Primary headache management in a multidisciplinary team - a pilot study

Abstract

Tension-type headaches and migraines are bidirectionally related to dysfunctions of the cervical and masticatory muscles and some psychosocial factors. Our pilot study aimed to investigate the connections between primary headaches, bruxism, and psychosocial issues. In addition, we aimed to assess the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary approach in decreasing the intensity and frequency of headache episodes and bruxism. Sixty-seven patients previously diagnosed with primary headache and bruxism were divided into two similar groups. One group benefited from manual therapy alone, while the other received manual therapy and counseling sessions for three months. Statistical data analysis was conducted using SPSS, Version 24, using the paired Student's t-tests and McNemar's tests. After the three-month intervention period, we observed substantial improvements across various parameters. Some demonstrated statistically significant differences, while others did not reach statistical significance. When comparing the outcomes, the combined therapy proved more effective than manual therapy alone.

Keywords: AB–awake bruxism; Anx–anxiety; CM–chronic migraine; COP–cervicogenic orofacial pain; C–counseling; GP–general practitioner; LJO–limited jaw opening; M ps–migraine pain score; MT–manual therapy; PS–perceived stress; SB–sleep bruxism; TTH ps–tension-type headache pain score; TTH–tension-type headache; bruxism; counseling; manual therapy; migraine; tension-type headache.