Researchers at Umeå University announced on Apr. 9 that they have developed a new way to visualize the global burden of disease caused by facial pain. This international research collaboration has produced lay descriptions that allow for comparisons between the impact of facial pain and other chronic conditions, such as diabetes.
The study addresses a gap in understanding how facial pain affects individuals and healthcare systems worldwide. Until now, there has been no standardized measurement for the impact or costs associated with this condition across different countries.
"We can now, for the first time, compare the burden of living with facial pain to conditions such as diabetes—that is, how much a person is affected over the course of their life by having this condition," said Anna Lövgren, Associate Professor at the Department of Odontology at Umeå University and one of the researchers leading the study.
Facial pain often results from overloading muscles or joints in the jaw, leading to persistent discomfort that interferes with daily activities like eating and speaking. Many sufferers also experience related issues such as headaches and disturbed sleep. Data from Sweden indicate that people with facial pain are more likely to have extended periods of sick leave. Despite these effects, estimating total costs has been challenging until now.
"Now that we can estimate the disease burden of facial pain, we can also link it to health data and evaluate, for example, how many people are affected and what consequences this has for society. We can also estimate the cost of management in terms of healthcare visits, examinations, and treatment," Lövgren said.
Lövgren is currently working on an initial estimate for how widespread this issue is globally. She hopes better measurement will lead to improved care options: "We argue that this facial pain and related symptoms should be included in healthcare fee systems so that patients can afford the treatment they would benefit from. This is an undertreated condition," she said.
