Management of temporomandibular disorders with ultrasound therapy and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation – a literature up-date

Abstract

Introduction.Temporomandibular disorders are considered to have a multifactorial etiology; thereby different treatment modalities are available, from occlusal equilibration, medication and physical therapy. Among physical therapies, occlusal splints, low-level laser therapy, acupuncture, ultrasound, TENS frequently used in current practice. The aim of physical therapies is to re-establish the muscle physiology by increasing the local blood and lymphatic flow. The aim of this study was to provide some clinical guidance regarding ultrasound therapy and TENS in case of temporomandibular disorders. Material and methods. A research of literature has been performed - articles published over the last 10 years (January 2009 until December 2019) were searched by introducing a combination of different terms, using the Pubmed and Science Direct databases.Results and discussion. A total number of 611 articles were found. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 20 articles were taken into consideration for the present study. Conclusion. Based on the findings within this literature review it can be concluded that for patients suffering from TMDs, ultrasound therapy and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation represent an effective non-drug-based conservative option, in order to improve symptoms like pain or hyperactivity of the masticatory muscles. Because it was difficult to compare the studies included, as they do not offer an optimal usage (program, duration of sessions, or number of sessions) of each technique we consider that further randomized controlled clinical studies are necessarily to compare each physical technique as well their combined effect in case of patients with temporomandibular disorders.

Keywords

• tmd
• ultrasound therapy
• tens