PTSD is a psychiatric disorder that can occur following the experience or witnessing of life-threatening events, such as military combat, natural disasters, serious accidents, or violent personal assaults such as rape. People who suffer from PTSD often relive the experience through nightmares and flashbacks, have difficulty sleeping, and feel detached or estranged. These symptoms can be severe enough and last long enough to significantly impair the person's daily life. PTSD is marked by clear biologic changes as well as psychological symptoms. However, PTSD is complicated by the fact that it frequently occurs in conjunction with related disorders such as depression, substance abuse, problems of memory and cognition, and other problems of physical and mental health. The disorder is also associated with impairment of the person's ability to function in social or family life, including occupational instability and family discord.
There is good evidence supporting a synergy between chronic pain, including chronic TMD pain, and PTSD, but what remains unknown to date is the predictive value of routinely assessing PTSD in patients with TMD pain. How• ever, it seems reasonable that screening measures be used in cases where PTSD is suspected. This can be accomplished with the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), which has good psychometric properties."