TITLE:
Service Evaluation of a New Physiotherapy Management Service for Patients with Chronic Temporomandibular Dysfunction
AUTHORS:
Emma Salt, Lucy Sawer, Andrew Dickenson
KEYWORDS:
Temporomandibular, Pain, Orofacial, Physiotherapy
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation,
Vol.10 No.2,
May
31,
2022
ABSTRACT: Aims: This service evaluation explored
and reported findings from a new multi-disciplinary service where
physiotherapists were incorporated into an orofacial team who managed patients
with chronic Temporomandibular Dysfunction (TMD). Methods: We collected
data before the physiotherapists’ involvement and on discharge from
physiotherapy management. Outcomes were patient-reported pain (numerical rating
scale (NRS 0 to 10)), patient specific functional score (PSFS), health-related
quality of life (EQ-5D) and range of mandibular depression (mm). Exploratory
analyses compared baseline
to follow-up scores on discharge from physiotherapy. Results: 79
patients (mean age 40 (SD 18); female 87%) received physiotherapy. At discharge, there was a mean reduction in pain: 2.8 (95% CI 2.0 to 3.6), improvement
in function: ﹣4.0 (95% CI ﹣4.7 to ﹣3.3), improvement in
health: ﹣0.139 (95% CI ﹣0.196 to ﹣0.082) and increase in
mandible depression: ﹣6.6. (95% CI ﹣9.1 to ﹣4.1). Conclusions: The
results provide early, exploratory evidence that patients with chronic
temporomandibular dysfunction treated by physiotherapists achieve clinically
important changes in pain, function and health in the short term.