There is a connection between depression and anxiety symptoms and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder pain, a condition that impacts the jaw, according to another study.

TMJ disorders impact joints and the muscles that connect your lower jaw to the skull.

This study by German researchers included more than 4,000 patients who underwent medical psychiatric risk factor survey.! completed a and oral health evaluations and TMJ pain assessments, and

The researchers discovered that depressive symptoms were more strongly related to TMJ pain than to muscle pain, while anxiety symptoms were linked with muscle pain. The findings were published in a recent online issue of The Journal of Pain.

TMJ pain may be a physical symptom of depression or anxiety, as stated by the researchers. They described that these mental health conditions may lead to increased activity in the jaw muscles which could cause inflammation and pain.

It’s likewise possible that chemical imbalances in the minds of individuals with depression and anxiety can lead to abnormal processing of pain sensation, according to Dr. Stefan Kindler of the department of oral and maxillofacial surgery/plastic surgery at the University of Greifswald and co-workers.

Previous studies have suggested a link between depression and TMJ pain, the writers of the brand new study pointed out in a news release. According to their findings, the team of Kindler reasoned that there is a moderate to strong link between TMJ pain and anxiety and depression symptoms.

However, the organization between TMJ pain and anxiety and depression will not show there is a cause-and-effect relationship.