Spirituality of Chronic Orofacial Pain Patients: Case–Control Study

• Published in: Journal of religion and health 2014-08, Vol.53 (4), p.1236-1248
• Main Authors: Lago-Rizzardi, Camilla Domingues, de Siqueira, Jose Tadeu T., de Siqueira, Silvia Regina D. T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Adult; Aging; Analysis of Variance; Bruxism; Case-Control Studies; Chronic diseases; Chronic pain; Chronic Pain - psychology; Clinical Psychology; Control groups; Emotional distress; Facial pain; Facial Pain - blood; Facial Pain - etiology; Facial Pain - psychology; Female; Humans; Mastication; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Myofascial pain; Original Paper; Pain; Public Health; Religion & psychology; Religious Studies; Spiritual belief systems; Spirituality; Stress, Physiological; Surveys and Questionnaires; Temporomandibular Joint Disorders - blood; Temporomandibular Joint Disorders - complications; Temporomandibular Joint Disorders - psychology
• ISSN: 0022-4197; 1573-6571
• DOI: 10.1007/s10943-013-9768-0

The objective of this study was to investigate spirituality and blood parameters associated with stress in patients with facial musculoskeletal pain. Twenty-four women with chronic facial musculoskeletal pain (CFMP) and 24 healthy women were evaluated with a protocol for orofacial characteristics, research diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders and the Spiritual Perspective Scale. Blood samples were collected to analyze blood count, cortisol, ACTH, C3, C4, thyroid hormones, total immunoglobulin, C-reactive protein and rheumatoid factor. The study group was more spiritualized than control group. Individuals with a high score of spirituality had less myofascial pain, less bruxism and fewer complaints. They also had lower levels of ACTH and IgE. Spirituality was higher in the study group and can be considered an important tool for coping with CFMP.