Masseter Thickness, Bruxism, and Oral Behaviors in Chronic Neck Pain

A total of 30 patients aged 18-65 years who present with chronic non-specific neck pain and 30 healthy volunteers will be included in the study. Patients with symptoms persisting for at least 3 months will be eligible for inclusion. Necessary information will be provided to all participants, and informed consent will be obtained.

To assess pain severity before treatment, participants will be asked to rate their complaints using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), a linear scale for pain assessment. The Neck Disability Index will be used to determine the level of disability.

The Jaw Functional Limitation Scale-20 (JFLS-20), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Patient Health Questionnaire-15: Physical Symptoms, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and the Oral Behaviors Checklist-included in Axis 2 of the DC/TMD form developed for evaluating temporomandibular joint dysfunction-will be used to assess patients' psychosocial characteristics and parafunctional habits.

Additionally, masseter muscle thickness will be evaluated using ultrasonographic measurement.