THE EFFECT OF THERAPUETIC ULTRASOUND AND PHONOPHORESIS ON TMJ PAIN

Abstract

Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) relate to discomfort of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). The disorder is multifactorial with a degree of psychogenic influence varying throughout an individual's life with phases of symptoms affecting the quality of life. Taking into consideration the application of different physical therapies for the reduction of this pain, this study is to compare the effect of ultrasonic therapy and phonophoresis on TMJ pain. Material and methods: The study Sample consist of twenty clinically confirmed cases of TMJ pain, visiting the dental clinic of the Department of oral and maxillofacial surgery, Yenepoya Dental College, Mangalore. They were divided into two groups- Group A patients (n=10) received Hydrocortisone Phonophoresis therapy and Group B patients (n=10) received only Ultrasound, daily for a period of 7 days. The outcome were measured by Pain Status & mouth opening, measured using VAS and vernier calliper. Results: After the treatment period score of the Group-A who received Hydrocortisone Phonophoresis is significantly higher than Group-B on the Pain Intensity and Improvement in mouth opening when analysed using independent ‘t’ test at p<0.05 Conclusion: The data suggest that phonophoresis therapy can be used as an treatment modality in controlling pain associated with TMDs. However, further studies on larger sample size with longer follow up periods are required.