The effects of combining posture control training with exercise on the disc-condyle relationship after manipulative reduction of anterior disc displacement / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To observe the curative effect of exercise training combined with posture control among patients with displacement of the anterior disc of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) without reduction.Methods:Forty-four patients with anterior TMJ disc displacement without reduction who had successfully been treated with manual repositioning were randomly divided into a control group and a treatment group, each of 22. Both groups underwent routine exercise training, while the experimental group was additionally provided with posture training five times a week for 4 weeks. After the 4th week of training both groups were evaluated using a visual analogue scale (VAS) and their maximum active mouth opening was compared. Six months later, MRI was performed to observe the disc-condyle relationship of the temporomandibular joint and its position.Results:①After 4 weeks of training, the average VAS scores of both groups were significantly lower than those before the training. The improvement in the treatment group′s average was significantly greater than among the control group. ②After the 4 weeks of training the average maximum active mouth opening of both groups had increased, with the improvement in the treatment group significantly greater. ③Six months later, 19 persons in the treatment group had a normal disc-condyle relationship, significantly more than the 13 in the control group.Conclusions:Posture control training can improve the effectiveness of sports training in maintaining manual repositioning of the TMJ after anterior disc displacement without reduction.