Dr. Mogell Dental Blog

Boca Raton Cosmetic Dentistry

Migraines, Headaches, and the Joint

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

No, I'm not talking about doobies. I'm talking about the temporomandibular joint, and its relationship to chronic, severe headaches that are sometimes misdiagnosed as migraines. In addition, because migraines are related to a disorder of the brain best treated pharmacologically whereas TMD is a physical condition that can be treated with physical remedies, the distinction has big implications for treatment. To help you figure out whether your headache is likely to be a migraine or is more likely related to a temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD), here's some information on how to tell whether you are suffering migraines or not.

Migraines are often easily diagnosed because they are accompanied by an aura. An aura in this case is defined as:

Visual symptoms such as flickering lights, bright spots, lines, or temporary blindness
Numbness or tingling
Temporary speech impairment

All of these symptoms have at least two of the following characteristics:

Develop slowly over more than 5 minutes
Are asymmetrical, affecting only one side of the body or field of vision
Lasting between 5-60 minutes.

According to the International Headache Society, migraines that occur without auras can be diagnosed using the simple "5, 4, 3, 2, 1" criteria, meaning, that you suffer:

5 attacks
Lasting 4 hours to 3 days
Having 2 or more of the following characteristics: focused location, pulsating quality, and severe pain that is aggravated by physical activity
1 or more accompanying symptoms, such as nausea/vomiting, sensitivity to light, sensitivity to sound, mood changes, partial paralysis of one side of the body

It is especially likely that you are suffering from a migraine if your attacks occur in relation to eating a particular kind of food or biochemical changes, such as menstruation.

If you are suffering from chronic headaches without the attendant symptoms of a migraine, there is most likely some other cause, such as TMD. If you are suffering from chronic headaches that do not meet the criteria above, then, whether or not you have been diagnosed with a migraine, contact us today to set up an appointment to have your pain evaluated.

Patti