Analysis of the therapeutic effects of exercise on pain management in patients with temporomandibular joint disorders

ZHANG Fei-yu; ZHANG Yue; DONG Jian; DING Fang; LIU Lin

doi:10.19749/j.cn.cjgd.1672-2973.2025.04.007

Abstract：Objective To investigate the therapeutic effects of exercise therapy on pain management in patients with temporomandibular disorders(TMD).Methods A total of 53 patients diagnosed with TMD-related pain(chief complaints:temporomandibular joint/masticatory muscle pain,limited mouth opening)at the Temporomandibular Joint Disease Clinic of Beijing Anzhen Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University from January 2023 to June 2024 were enrolled.Patients were divided into an experimental group(26 cases,even-numbered visits)and a control group(27 cases,odd-numbered visits).The visual analogue scale(VAS)scores for pain in the temporomandibular joint area,maximum active mouth opening measurements,mandibular function impairment questionnaire(MFIQ)scores,and oral health impact profile for temporomandibular disorders(OHIP-TMD)scores were recorded for each patient at the time of initial diagnosis,3 weeks post-treatment,3 months post-treatment,and 6 months post-treatment.A comparative analysis was conducted to evaluate the therapeutic effects between the two groups.Results Three weeks after treatment,the VAS scores and OHIP-TMD scores of both groups were lower than those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the scores in the experimental group were lower than those in the control group(P＜0.05);the MMO of both groups was increased compared with that before treatment(P＜0.05),and that in the experimental group was larger than that in the control group(P＜0.01).At 3 months and 6 months after treatment,the VAS scores,MFIQ scores and OHIP-TMD scores of both groups were significantly lower than those before treatment(P＜0.05).At 6 months after treatment,the MMO of both groups was significantly increased compared with that before treatment(P＜0.01),and the MMO of the control group and the experimental group recovered to(4.83±0.29)cm and(4.87±0.71)cm respectively.Conclusion Exercise therapy can alleviate the pain symptoms of patients with temporomandibular joint disorders in the early stage.Exercise therapy should be used as preferred treatment methods.