TMJ disorders, which are not well understood, produce pain in the jaw and surrounding muscles.
The new study found that compared with the healthy control group, TMJ sufferers reported more headaches, low back pain, and chronic pain in areas other than the face in the previous year.
The findings do not suggest TMJ causes other types of pain, but sufferers may have "more complex patterns" of pain perception, stress control, and pain suppression, researchers say.
They say the study, in this month's Journal of Pain, could improve diagnosis and treatment of pain disorders in general. - Marie McCullough
Penn researchers urge more promotion of hands-only CPR
University of Pennsylvania researchers were curious about why less than a third of lay witnesses to heart attacks attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
They did in-depth interviews with 19 people. Two had no training in CPR; the others had taken courses within five years or longer ago.
The researchers, who presented their results earlier this month at the American Heart Association's annual scientific sessions, found that less than half of the interview subjects could accurately say when to perform CPR. Many described incomplete training or problems remembering what they had learned.
Nearly 80 percent lacked confidence in their CPR skills. Most had not heard of hands-only CPR and did not know it had been recommended for lay bystanders by the American Heart Association in 2010. (Rescue breaths are still recommended for children.) Once told about hands-only CPR, 89 percent said they would feel more confident about it than the standard method.
