A groundbreaking study from the University of Sydney has discovered a strong link between poor oral health and persistent pain conditions like migraines and fibromyalgia—specifically in women. Researchers studied the oral microbiome of nearly 160 women in New Zealand, uncovering a significant presence of harmful bacteria tied to heightened pain symptoms.

Lipopolysaccharides—harmful toxins found in the cell walls of certain oral bacteria—were observed to trigger immune responses and contribute to inflammation, often linked to fibromyalgia’s hallmark symptoms: widespread pain and fatigue.

Published in Frontiers in Pain Research, the study suggests that oral microbes may influence how the nervous system processes pain. Lead author Dr. Joanna Harnett emphasized this is the first research to explore the connection between oral microbiota and pain in women with fibromyalgia. Her team highlighted the broader message—maintaining good oral hygiene may help reduce chronic pain and enhance overall health.

Sharon Erdrich, the study’s first author, noted fibromyalgia is frequently overlooked despite being a common condition. Using WHO’s oral health survey and pain assessment tools, researchers found that women with poor oral health had a 60% higher chance of experiencing significant body pain and were 49% more likely to suffer from migraines.

The findings show that 58% of women with migraines had the worst oral health, while only 21% of them had excellent dental hygiene.

The study posits that oral bacteria may disrupt pain processing, playing a key role in disorders marked by central nervous system sensitivity.4

#ChronicPainAwareness #OralHealthMatters #MigraineResearch #FibromyalgiaFacts