The cause of
burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is unknown. Although no effective treatment has been established, BMS patients frequently chew gum to alleviate
pain. To identify the cause and new treatments for BMS, this study investigated the psychophysical and pharmacological properties of
gum chewing to better understand its
pain-relieving effects. In this prospective, blinded study, plasma
catecholamine and
serotonin levels and Profile of Mood States (POMS) scores were assessed after
gum chewing or simulated chewing in 40 women (20 BMS patients and 20 age-matched controls). Visual analogue scale (VAS) scores for
pain decreased significantly in BMS patients after
gum chewing and simulated chewing. Moreover, resting VAS scores of BMS patients were significantly positively correlated with plasma
adrenaline level. Furthermore,
gum chewing was significantly correlated with lower plasma
adrenaline level, VAS score, and tension-anxiety score. These results suggest that
adrenaline is important in the pathogenesis of BMS
pain and that the
analgesic effect of
gum chewing is induced through the potential effects of anxiety reduction, although this effect might not be specific to BMS. In addition, the
analgesic effect of
gum chewing was not induced solely by chewing motion.