Citation

Matheron E, Kapoula Z. Front. Physiol. 2011; 2(online): 64.

Affiliation

IRIS Group, UMR 8194, CNRS, Service d'Ophtalmologie-ORL-Stomatologie, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou Paris, France.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Frontiers Research Foundation)

DOI

10.3389/fphys.2011.00064

PMID

21960975

PMCID

PMC3177080

Abstract

Piercings (body art, i.e., with jewelry) are more and more widespread. They can induce various complications such as infections, allergies, headaches, and various skin, cartilage, or dental problems, and represent a public health problem. We draw attention to possible side effects resulting from face piercing complications observed on four young adults such as eye misalignment, decreased postural control efficiency, and non-specific chronic back pain with associated comorbidity. We found that the origin was pierced jewelry on the face. Removing the jewelry restored eye alignment, improved postural control, and alleviated back pain in a lasting way. We suggest that pierced facial jewelry can disturb somaesthetic signals driven by the trigeminal nerve, and thus interfere with central integration processes, notably in the cerebellum and the vestibular nucleus involved in postural control and eye alignment. Facial piercings could induce sensory-motor conflict, exacerbate, or precipitate a pre-existing undetermined conflict, which leads pain and complaints. These findings are significant for health; further investigations would be of interest.

Language: en