This study aimed at evaluating the 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 noo-tendered muscles. This tendency was
move prominant in masticatory muscles than in cervical muscles and in: clenching than in resting.
2. There were a tendency of higher PPTs in unaffected side than in affected side, but there were no significant
difference statistically.
3. There were 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 thane 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 group of clenching PPTs.
From this results, the author concluded that the clenching PPT was more important than resting PPT in diagnosis of muscle dysfunction. And the author recommended that all of three following test were performed for the proper diagnosis and treatment of orofacial pain : muscle tenderness, EMG activity, and PPT.
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