This study was designed to compare heat pain threshold(HPT) with pressure pain threshold(PPT) which, already reported about the validity and reliability, is widely used to evaluate the chronic myofascial pain patients. In thirty normal subjects(male 15, female 15, mean age 24.3+1.1 years) and fifteen patients(male 2, female 13, mean age 26.9+9.5 years), PPT measured by algometers and HPT measured by CO₂ laser were obtained at both masseter muscles.
The obtained results were as follows:
1. There was statistically significant correlation between total PPT and total HPT in control group, but was not in patient group.
2. In PPT and HPT of control group, there were statistically differences between male and female.
3. There was no significant difference between right side and left side in male control group but there was significant difference in female group.
4. In patient group, non-affected sites had higher PPT and HPT values than affected site but there was statistically significant difference in only HPT.
5. There was statistically significant difference in PPT and HPT between control group and patient group.
6. There was statistically significant difference in PPT between control group and non-affected sites of patient group.
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