Editing Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (section)

=====Referred TMD pain=====
Sometimes TMD pain can radiate or be referred from its cause (i.e. the TMJ or the muscles of mastication) and be felt as headaches, earache or toothache.<ref name="Neville 2001" />

Due to the proximity of the ear to the temporomandibular joint, TMJ pain can often be confused with ear pain.<ref name="Okeson 2003" /> The pain may be [[referred pain|referred]] in around half of all patients and experienced as [[otalgia]] (earache).<ref name="pmid15800464">{{cite journal | vauthors = Ramírez LM, Sandoval GP, Ballesteros LE | title = Temporomandibular disorders: referred cranio-cervico-facial clinic | journal = Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral y Cirugia Bucal | volume = 10 | issue = Suppl 1 | pages = E18-26 | date = April 2005 | pmid = 15800464 | url = http://www.medicinaoral.com/medoralfree01/v10Suppl1i/medoralv10suppl1ip18.pdf }}</ref> Conversely, TMD is an important possible cause of [[Otalgia#Secondary otalgia|secondary otalgia]]. Treatment of TMD may then significantly reduce symptoms of otalgia and [[tinnitus]], as well as [[atypical facial pain]].<ref name="pmid16113700">{{cite journal | vauthors = Quail G | title = Atypical facial pain--a diagnostic challenge | journal = Australian Family Physician | volume = 34 | issue = 8 | pages = 641–5 | date = August 2005 | pmid = 16113700 | url = http://www.racgp.org.au/afp/downloads/pdf/august2005/August_theme_quail2.pdf | access-date = 23 July 2006 | archive-date = 16 November 2006 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061116040924/http://www.racgp.org.au/afp/downloads/pdf/august2005/August_theme_quail2.pdf | url-status = dead }}</ref> Despite some of these findings, some researchers question whether TMJD therapy can reduce symptoms in the ear, and there is currently an ongoing debate to settle the controversy.<ref name="Okeson 2003" />