Influence of Kinesiotherapy and Transcutaneous Electrical Nervous Stimulation (TENS) in Patients with Temporomandibular Joint Disorder

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the impact of a kinesiotherapeutic protocol and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in patients with temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD). Material and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out with 21 users of the Brazilian unified health system, with mean age of 35.9 ± 11.9 years, diagnosed with TMD by the Orofacial Pain Control Service at HULW / UFPB, located in the city of João Pessoa, PB, Brazil. Data were coded, double entered and validated using the Epi-Info software. To compare quantitative variables presented as mean and standard deviation, the Wilcoxon test was used. The McNemar test was used for analysis of dichotomous variables. Values of p lass than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Analyses were performed using the SPSS statistical software. Results: There was a reduction in headache (p=0.031), myofascial pain (p = 0.004), ear pain (p=0.016), noise (p=0.031) and otalgia symptoms (p=0.031) from the beginning to the end of intervention among the study participants. Pain on palpation showed reduction for masseter, digastric, pterygoid and upper trapezius (p lass than 0.001), temporal and sternocleidomastoid muscles (p lass than 0.05) after physiotherapy intervention. Postural assessment of users showed an improvement in relation to head (p=0.031) and mandible positioning (p=0.004) at the end of the study. There was a gain in the range of the joint movement in relation to mouth opening, protrusion and lateral deviation of the mandible (p lass than 0.001). Conclusion: The results confirm that treatment consisting of physiotherapy intervention (TENS) and kinesiotherapeutic protocol was an important tool to control the painful symptoms, restore function of the masticatory apparatus and reeducate patients with TMD, with consequent improvement in the quality of life of patients. DESCRIPTORS Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome. Physiotherapy. Exercise Therapy. TENS.