The relationship between forward head posture and temporomandibular disorders

Translated title of the contribution: The relationship between forward head posture and temporomandibular disorders

Won You Lee, Jeffrey P. Okeson, Jofin Lindroth

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

112 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between forward head posture and temporomandibular disorder symptoms. Thirty-three tem-poromandibular disorder patients with predominant complaints of masticatory muscle pain were compared with an age- and gender-matched control group. Head position was measured from photographs taken with a plumb line drawn from the ceiling to the lateral malleolus of the ankle and with a horizontal plane that was perpendicular to the plumb line and that passed through the spinous process of the seventh cervical vertebra. The distances from the plumb line to the ear, to the seventh vertebra, and to the shoulder were measured. Two angles were also measured: (1) ear-seventh cervical vertebra-horizontal plane and (2) eye-ear-seventh cervical vertebra. The only measurement that revealed a statistically significant difference was angle ear-seventh cervical vertebra-horizontal plane. This angle was smaller in the patients with temporomandibular disorders than in the control subjects. In other words, when evaluating the ear position with respect to the seventh cervical vertebra, the head was positioned more forward in the group with temporomandibular disorders than in the control group (P <.OS).

Translated title of the contributionThe relationship between forward head posture and temporomandibular disorders
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)161-167
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Oral and Facial Pain and Headache
Volume9
Issue number2
StatePublished - 1995

Keywords

  • Head posture
  • Masticatory muscle
  • Temporomandibular disorders

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Dentistry (miscellaneous)
  • Clinical Neurology
  • Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine

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