{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,12]],"date-time":"2026-01-12T09:18:14Z","timestamp":1768209494264,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"MRE Press","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,12]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: The study evaluated how often pharmacological therapies were started, modified, or discontinued after a consultation in a sample of orofacial pain patients and identified potential factors associated with treatment choices in the pharmacological management of orofacial pain. Methods: For this study, patient files (N = 208) originating from the daily routine of the Orofacial Pain Unit, University of Zurich (January 2017\u2013December 2022) were analysed. Demographics, lifestyle, pain characteristics, diagnosis, and pharmacological therapy pre- and post- consultation with an orofacial pain specialist were recorded. Changes in pharmacotherapy, pain perception, and therapeutic success were assessed. Descriptive statistics, paired McNemar and chi-square tests were conducted. Results: A total of 208 patients were included in the study (64.4% females, mean age 45.9 years). The mean pain intensity was 6.93 for maximum pain and 4.62 for average pain. The most common pain locations were the face (64.3%), followed by the head (33.3%). At the initial consultation, 51.4% of patients were already using pharmacological therapy. The most common pre-diagnosis medications were non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (44.9%), antidepressants with pain-modulating properties (9.3%), and magnesium (7.5%). After consultation, myofascial orofacial pain was the most common diagnosis (50.5%). The prescription of medications increased significantly to 74.5%(p &lt; 0.001). Topical NSAIDs (64.0%) and magnesium supplements (40.0%) were the most prescribed. A significant relationship between therapy changes and diagnosis was observed, particularly for myofascial pain (p = 0.024) and temporomandibular joint disorders (p &lt; 0.001). Therapy outcomes were positive for 67.0% of the observed patients. Conclusions: Age, psychological distress, and pain location significantly influenced pharmacological management of orofacial pain. Pharmacological therapy differed between before and after consultation at the Orofacial Pain Unit. Accurate diagnosis and a multidisciplinary approach to treatment can significantly improve therapy success.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.22514\/jofph.2026.009","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,12]],"date-time":"2026-01-12T06:27:38Z","timestamp":1768199258000},"page":"96","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Pharmacological management in orofacial pain: a retrospective, observational study of treatment decisions and contributing factors"],"prefix":"10.22514","author":[{"given":"Diya","family":"Mundackal","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"26027","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,12]]},"container-title":["Journal of Oral &amp; Facial Pain and Headache"],"original-title":[],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,12]],"date-time":"2026-01-12T06:27:42Z","timestamp":1768199262000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.jofph.com\/articles\/10.22514\/jofph.2026.009"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,12]]},"references-count":0,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.22514\/jofph.2026.009","relation":{},"ISSN":["2333-0384","2333-0376"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2333-0384","type":"print"},{"value":"2333-0376","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,12]]}}}