Psychological profile and self-administered relaxation in patients with craniofacial pain: a prospective in-office study

Introduction: The objective of this study was to evaluate the psychological profile of craniofacial pain sufferers and the impact of patient subtype classification on the short-time effectiveness of a self-administered relaxation training. Methods: One hundred unselected in-office patients (67% fema...

Verfasser: Kirschneck, Christian Johannes
Römer, Piero
Proff, Peter
Lippold, Carsten
FB/Einrichtung:FB 05: Medizinische Fakultät
Dokumenttypen:Artikel
Medientypen:Text
Erscheinungsdatum:2013
Publikation in MIAMI:25.02.2014
Datum der letzten Änderung:16.04.2019
Angaben zur Ausgabe:[Electronic ed.]
Quelle:Head & Face Medicine 9 (2013) 31
Schlagwörter:Craniofacial pain; Temporo-mandibular dysfunction; Patient classification; Relaxation training; Psychological features
Fachgebiet (DDC):610: Medizin und Gesundheit
Lizenz:CC BY 2.0
Sprache:English
Anmerkungen:Finanziert durch den Open-Access-Publikationsfonds 2013/2014 der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) und der Westfälischen Wilhelms-Universität Münster (WWU Münster).
Format:PDF-Dokument
URN:urn:nbn:de:hbz:6-84309661949
Weitere Identifikatoren:DOI: 10.1186/1746-160X-9-31
Permalink:https://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:hbz:6-84309661949
Onlinezugriff:1746-160X-9-31.pdf

Introduction: The objective of this study was to evaluate the psychological profile of craniofacial pain sufferers and the impact of patient subtype classification on the short-time effectiveness of a self-administered relaxation training. Methods: One hundred unselected in-office patients (67% females) suffering from chronic facial pain and/or headache with the presumptive diagnose of temporo-mandibular disorder (TMD) completed a questionnaire battery comprising craniofacial pain perception, somatic complaints, irrational beliefs, and pain behavior and were classified into subtypes using cluster analysis. They underwent a self-administered progressive relaxation training and were re-evaluated for pain perception after 3 months. Results: Pain was mild to moderate in the majority of patients. Symptom domains comprised parafunctional activities, temporo-mandibular pain and dysfunction, fronto-temporal headache, head/neck and neck/back pain. Three patient subtypes were identified regarding symptom/dysfunction level: (i) low burden (mild/moderate), (ii) psychosocial dysfunction (moderate/high), (iii) adaptive coping (moderate/mild). Self-rated adherence to the recommended relaxation training was moderate throughout the sample, but self-rated relief was significantly different between clusters. At follow-up, pain intensity was significantly decreased in all patients, whereas pain-related interference was improved only in dysfunctional and adaptive patients. Improvement of symptom domains varied between clusters and was most comprehensive in adaptive patients. Conclusions: In conclusion, craniofacial pain sufferers can be divided in meaningful subtypes based on their pain perception, irrational beliefs, and pain behaviour. A self-administered relaxation training generally yielded positive effects on pain perception, however the benefit may be greater in patients with more marked symptom impact (both dysfunctional and adaptive).