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Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director)
In second place on the podium for chronic pain, just after back pain, jaw pain impacts the daily lives of many French people. But new recommendations on the subject could come to a gentle end.
Did you know ? If you suffer from tension or pain in your jaw, you are not alone. This common ailment ranks second among chronic pain, after back pain. But poorly understood or poorly known, jaw pain is often treated late. New recommendations from a meta-analysis of 233 studies now allow us to know what works best to relieve them.
Surgeries and definitive treatments should be avoided
The first conclusion emanating from these recommendations is based on invasive treatments which would not be appropriate according to the results. Thus, although it involves treating a joint, surgical treatments should be avoided to reduce pain because they can induce irreversible destruction of the joint.
For their part, temporary solutions, such as botulinum toxin injections, are not ruled out, but more convincing clinical trials on their effectiveness are necessary, according to experts.
Gentle methods would be the most effective
On the contrary, it seems that gentle methods offer the most convincing results for pain localized in the jaws. Therefore, according to researchers, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to treat the phobias generated by this chronic pain, coupled with relaxation therapy, would be the most appropriate.
Massages and manipulations such as stretching carried out by physiotherapists also bear fruit. Relaxation alone or even acupuncture are also moderate but beneficial methods. Lighting that can direct you further towards the right solution.
“Jaw pain is most often linked to contraction of the masseters, or a bruxism. Manifestations ultimately linked to stress. In this context, apart from anomalies, malposition or dental malocclusion, surgery is not a solution. On the other hand, all stress reduction techniques are favorable, according to this study. Overall, in case of chronic pain, turn to relaxation techniques!” advises Dr Gérad Kierzek, medical director of Doctissimo.