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Does the Use of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation Improve Temporomandibular Disorders After Orthognathic
Majid Nemati1, Shakila Peimani1, Ensiyeh Cheraghchibashi Astaneh1
1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Velenjak, Tehran, Iran.
Background:
Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) occur in a small number of patients who undergo orthognathic surgery. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a treatment modality used to manage TMD.
Objective:
This study aimed to assess the effects of TENS on reducing symptoms following orthognathic surgery.
Methodology:
This was a pre-protocol randomized clinical trial. Patients with retrognathia and myogenic temporomandibular joint disorders following mandibular advancement were studied. The subjects were randomly divided into two groups: the treatment group, which received TENS, and the control group. This study was conducted at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science. Patients in the treatment group underwent 10 sessions of TENS two months after surgery, which were repeated 1 month later. The main outcomes of the study were pain severity measured using a visual analog scale and maximum mouth opening (MMO). Pain and MMO were assessed 1, 3, 6 months after the intervention.
Results:
A total of 29 patients were included in group I (TENS) and 31 in group II (control). Pain was significantly different between the treatment and control groups 3 and 6 months after the intervention (p = 0.001, p < 0.001 retrospectively). MMO was significantly different between the treatment and control groups at 1, 3, and 6 months after the intervention (p = 0.032, p = 0.007, p = 0.013 retrospectively).
Conclusion:
TENS appears that TENS is effective for pain relief and improvement in maximum mouth opening (MMO) in patients with temporomandibular disorder (TMD) following orthognathic surgery.
