Outcomes and patient satisfaction following individualized physical therapy treatment for patients diagnosed with temporomandibular disc displacement without reduction with limited opening: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective: To investigate physical therapy treatment outcomes and patient satisfaction in patients with a diagnosis of disc displacement without reduction with limited opening (DDWoR wLO).

Methods: Records of 97 patients with DDWoR wLO who received physical therapy in one outpatient clinic were used in this cross-sectional study. Outcomes included number of visits, maximum active interincisal opening, self-reported pain, and patient satisfaction.

Results: The average number of physical therapy visits per patient was 5.5, and there were significant improvements in pain rating and interincisal opening following physical therapy. Effect sizes for these comparisons were large (>1.0). Mean patient satisfaction responses across all symptom areas was consistent with patients being more than less satisfied following treatment.

Discussion: Individualized physical therapy treatment is an effective conservative intervention to improve mouth opening, reduce pain, and provide patient satisfaction in patients with one specific sub-type of temporomandibular disorder (TMD), DDWoR wLO.

Keywords:

• Temporomandibular joint disorders
• treatment outcome
• patient satisfaction
• physical therapists
• outcome assessment
• disc displacement
• physical therapy intervention
• pain