Physical Therapy Intervention For A Patient With Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Caused By Two Traumatic Events: A Case Study

Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are a collection of pathoanatomical dysfunctions of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and are associated with a variety of symptoms throughout the head and neck. There is a severe lack of supportive evidence for physical therapy management used in the conservative and/or post-surgical treatment of TMD. The dental profession provides much of the current literature on TMD but is limited in conservative and surgical interventions. Research has shown arthrocentesis to be a beneficial procedure to perform initially; long-term outcomes for pain and functional impairments were comparable with conservative treatment. The purpose of this case report is to provide information regarding conservative and post-surgical physical therapy treatment of TMD due to a traumatic mechanism of injury and describe a physical therapy plan of care for TMD.https://dune.une.edu/pt_studcrposter/1088/thumbnail.jp