Craniofacial pain is the broad term used to encompass pain disorders of the head and face, including temporomandibular joint disorders. Many times headaches and even migraines have a craniofacial pain component, or are completely craniofacial pain related. We have treated numerous patients who thought they suffered from migraine headaches, when actually they were experiencing muscular headaches, usually due to clenching their teeth.
Here are some clues that your migraine may not be a true migraine at all:
- Often wake with a headache
- Migraine medications like Zomig and Imitrex don’t “abort” the headache
- Advil or Excedrin help your headaches
- You are aware of clenching your teeth or have been told that you do
- Your headaches are usually in your temples, behind your eyes or in the back of your head
Depression and Headaches
In the last few years, research has shown that Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) medications such as Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, and Celexa may cause clenching and grinding of the teeth in patients who have never done this before and will increase these behaviors in those known to clench or grind their teeth. This side effect is relatively unknown to physicians. If your jaw pain / headache symptoms started a few weeks to a month or two after you started taking an SSRI medication, suspect that this might be related.
Possible Treatment:
A dental appliance called the NTI was approved by the FDA for use in the of medically diagnosed migraine pain as well as migraine associated tension type headaches. Dr. Spencer and Dr. Murphy have personally treated many patients with this appliance to successfully reduce or eliminate their headaches, even when other medical treatments had failed.