EFFICACY OF BOTULINUM TOXIN TYPE A IN REDUCING CHRONIC TENSION HEADACHE IN PATIENTS WITH TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT DYSFUNCTION

Abstract

There is a notable prevalence of temporomandibular joint dysfunction, reaching approximately 34% in the general population according to the recent studies. Individuals with such dysfunction often experience tension headaches due to increased tension in the masticatory muscles, a key symptom of temporomandibular joint dysfunction. Botulinum toxin type A injections into these muscles are utilized to alleviate the dysfunction, as this drug inhibits neuromuscular impulses, thereby reducing muscle tension. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of alleviating chronic tension headaches in patients with temporomandibular joint dysfunction through botulinum toxin type A injections into trigger points of the masticatory muscles. Sixty patients exhibiting signs of temporomandibular joint dysfunction and chronic tension headaches participated in the study. They were randomly assigned to either an experimental group receiving botulinum toxin type A injections or a control group receiving saline injections into the masticatory muscles. Injections were administered at sites with the highest muscle tension in the masseter and temporalis muscles. The reduction in chronic tension-type headaches was evaluated using a visual analogue pain scale. The results indicated a statistically significant decrease in headache intensity in the experimental group compared to the control group (P<0.001). Furthermore, the experimental group demonstrated significant treatment efficacy based on headache intensity before and after 12 weeks from the drug administration date (P<0.001).