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Effects of Low‐Intensity Contractions of Different Craniofacial Muscles in Healthy Participants – An Experimental Cross‐Over Study
Author(s) -
Ikoma Tomoko,
Bendixen Karina Haugaard,
Arima Taro,
Dawson Andreas,
Yamaguchi Taihiko,
List Thomas,
Svensson Peter
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
headache: the journal of head and face pain
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.14
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1526-4610
pISSN - 0017-8748
DOI - 10.1111/head.13280
Subject(s) - craniofacial , medicine , orbicularis oculi muscle , facial muscles , orbicularis oris muscle , anatomy , isometric exercise , muscle contraction , surgery , physical therapy , upper lip , psychiatry , eyelid
Objective Repetitive jaw‐muscle activity characterized by clenching or grinding of the teeth and/or by bracing or thrusting of the mandible, ie, bruxism, is traditionally linked to pain and unpleasantness in the active muscles. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of standardized craniofacial muscle contractions on self‐reported symptoms. Methods Sixteen healthy volunteers performed six 5‐minute bouts of 20% maximal voluntary contraction task of the jaw‐closing (Jaw), the orbicularis‐oris (O‐oris), and the orbicularis‐oculi (O‐oculi) muscles. Participants rated their perceived pain, unpleasantness, fatigue, and mental stress levels before, during, and after the contraction tasks on 0‐10 Numeric Rating Scales (NRS). Each muscle contraction task (= 1 session) was separated by at least 1 week and the order of the sessions was randomized in each subject. Results All muscle contraction tasks evoked significant increases in NRS scores of pain (mean ± SD: Jaw; 3.8 ± 2.7, O‐oris; 1.9 ± 2.2, O‐oculi; 1.4 ± 1.3, P < .014), unpleasantness (Jaw; 4.1 ± 2.5, O‐oris; 2.1 ± 1.9, O‐oculi; 2.9 ± 1.8, P < .001), fatigue (Jaw; 5.8 ± 2.0, O‐oris; 3.2 ± 2.3, O‐oculi; 3.6 ± 1.9, P < .001), and mental stress (Jaw; 4.1 ± 2.1, O‐oris; 2.2 ± 2.7, O‐oculi; 2.9 ± 2.2, P < .001). The Jaw contractions were associated with higher NRS scores compared with the O‐oris and the O‐oculi contractions ( P < .005) without differences between the O‐oris and the O‐oculi ( P > .063). All symptoms disappeared within 1 day ( P > .469). Conclusions The results showed that submaximal static contractions of different craniofacial muscle groups could evoke transient, mild to moderate levels of muscle pain and fatigue and increased stress scores. The fatigue resistance may differ between different muscle groups. Further studies are warranted to better understand the contribution of specific craniofacial muscle groups for the characteristic presentation of musculoskeletal pain conditions in the head.