NEVRA ÖKSÜZ, AYNUR ÖZGE
Comprehensive Medicine - 2023;15(4):356-360
INTRODUCTION: Migraine and temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are both common diseases and TMDs are reported as a risk factor in migraine progression. In our clinical practice, we see that especially bruxism and migraine often coexist, but there is a lack of research investigating the possible relationship between migraine and bruxism. In this study, we aimed to investigate the presence of bruxism in chronic migraine (CM) patients and to evaluate migraine characteristics in patients with and without bruxism. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted utilizing the Mersin University headache database, which encompassed a total of 270 patients meeting the diagnostic criteria for CM. Among the CM patients, 54 individuals were additionally diagnosed with bruxism. The patients (with/without bruxism) were compared in terms of migrainous features and comorbidities. Results: Out of the 270 patients, 54 individuals reported the coexistence of bruxism alongside CM. CM patients without bruxism exhibited a higher likelihood of experiencing migraine-associated symptoms, including nausea, photophobia, and phonophobia (p<0.001, p=0.020, and p<0.001, respectively). The characteristics of the headache, such as the throbbing pattern, were similar in both groups, showing no significant difference (p>0.05). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The presence of bruxism did not demonstrate a significant association with a higher prevalence of common symptoms related to migraines. Although bruxism is thought to be a potential risk factor for worsening migraine, we did not find any significant results indicating this in our study. However, we think it is important to accept bruxism as a contributing factor to the holistic management of CM.
