Study on women relates poor oral health with chronic pain

Study links poor oral health to chronic pain conditions like migraine and fibromyalgia in women, highlighting oral microbiome importance.

A new study conducted on women has found a significant association between poor oral health and chronic pain conditions, including migraine and fibromyalgia.

Using genomics, the research from the University of Sydney, Australia, examined the oral microbiome of nearly 160 women in New Zealand and identified specific microbes that were correlated with chronic pain.

Lipopolysaccharides (a toxin) from cell walls of certain bacteria in the mouth are known to impact immune responses and have been studied to contribute to pro-inflammatory cytokines in fibromyalgia -- in which one feels widespread pain and fatigue, the authors said.

Findings published in the journal Frontiers in Pain Research suggest a potential relationship between the oral microbiome and the nervous system.

The study also highlights the importance of good oral health towards addressing pain and improving overall well-being.

"This is the first study to investigate oral health, oral microbiota and pain commonly experienced in women with fibromyalgia, with our study showing a clear and significant association between poor oral health and pain," said lead researcher Joanna Harnett, associate professor at the faculty of medicine and health, University of Sydney.

First author, Sharon Erdrich, a PhD candidate at the university, said, "Our findings are particularly important to fibromyalgia which, despite being a common rheumatological condition, is often under-recognised." Fibromyalgia is also marked by mood, cognitive and sleep disturbances.