Relation between Pressure Pain Threshold and Functional Activity in Masticatory and Cervical Muscles

저작근 및 경부근에서 압력통각역치와 기능시 근활성도 간의 관계

This study aimed at evaluating tile relationship between pressure pain threshold(PPT) and electromyographic(EMG) activity in 30 healthy volunteers and 30 patients with temporomandibular disorders. PPTs were determined with electric pressure algometry over masseter, temporalis anterior, sternocleidomastoid, and trapezius muscle during resting and clenching. To obtain more reliable result, two examiners measured PPTs two times on each muscles, randomly. Resting and clenching EMG activity and tenderness of all muscles were measured to evaluate the relationship with PPTs. The collected data were processed by SAS/STAT program. The obtained results were as follows : 1. Pressure pain thresholds in tendered muscles were lower than those in non-tendered muscles. This tendency was more prominant in masticatory muscles than in cervical muscles and in clenching than in resting. 2. There ware a tendency of higher PPTs in unaffected side than in affected side, but there were no significant difference statistically. 3. There wert no difference of PPTs between in preferred side and in ipsilateral side, significantly. 4. There was a significantly positive correlation between resting and clenching PPTs, but there were no correlation between PPTs and EMG activities. 5. Comparison of EMG activity between in higher group and in lower group by resting PPTs didn't show any significant difference. But resting EMG activity in the higher group of clenching PPTs were lower, on the contrary, clenching activity were higher than those in lower groups of clenching PPTs. From this results, the author concluded that the clenching PPTs was more important than resting PPTs in diagnosis of muscle dysfunction. And the author recommanded that all of three following test were performed for the proper diagnosis and treatment of orofacial Pain : muscle tenderness, EMG activity, and PPT.