Does stimulation of nasal mucosa cause referred pain to the face?

Abstract

Ten healthy volunteers (five men and five women, mean age 30 years 3 months), with no nasal contact points, had pressure, adrenaline (1 : 1000), substance P (10 and 80 nmol/mL) and placebo topically applied to their nasal mucosa. Areas stimulated were the nasal floor, septum and lateral wall as well as the inferior and middle turbinates in both nasal cavities. The application of stimuli was randomized and single-blinded. A numerical score of the subjective severity of pain was used to assess outcome. Pressure caused variable local nasal discomfort limited by the duration of application and the site of pressure. Substance P caused variable nasalitching and sneezing. None of the stimuli caused referred pain to the face. The results question the role of mucosal contact points in facial pain.