The effects of manual therapy and exercise directed at the cervical spine on pain and pressure pain sensitivity in patients with myofascial temporomandibular disorders.

LA Touche R, Fernández-DE-Las-Peñas C, Fernández-Carnero J, Escalante K, Angulo-Díaz-Parreño S, Paris-Alemany A, Cleland JA

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of joint mobilization and exercise directed at the cervical spine on pain intensity and pressure pain sensitivity in the muscles of mastication in patients with TMD. Nineteen patients with myofascial TMD received a total of 10 treatment session over a 5-week period (twice per week). Treatment included manual therapy techniques and exercise directed at the cervical spine. Outcome measures included bilateral pressure pain threshold (PPT) levels over the masseter and temporalis muscles, active pain-free mouth opening (mm) and pain (Visual Analogue Scale) and were all assessed pre-intervention, 48 h after the last treatment (post-intervention) and at 12-week follow-up period.

The results demonstrated that the application of treatment directed at the cervical spine may be beneficial in decreasing pain intensity, increasing PPTs over the masticatory muscles and an increasing pain-free mouth opening in patients with myofascial TMD.

Journal of Oral Rehabilitation, 2009 Jul 14, online article ahead of print

Link to Abstract