Temporomandibular disorders treatment: comparison of home exercise and manual therapy

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of home exercises therapy (HT) and manual therapy (MT) in patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) after 4weeks of intervention period. Methods: Forty patients with TMD with myofascial pain and/or anterior disc displacement with reduction were randomly divided into two groups: HT (N= 20) and MT (N= 20) groups. The HT group received education and postural exercises. The MT group received education, postural exercises, and temporomandibular joint and soft tissue mobilization. Pain intensity and head posture were measured before and after the treatment. Results: Compared with the baseline, both interventions were found to be significantly improved visual analog scale (VAS) and head posture after the treatment (p< 0.05). The VAS decreased and head posture improved. Between the groups, the MT group showed significant changes in both parameters (p< 0.05). Conclusions: The MT with HT was more effective for patients with TMD.