Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment Effect in Individuals With Temporomandibular Disorder Who Make Use of Occlusal Splints

Objective:

It is known the multifactorial etiology of Temporomandibular Disorders(TMD) which raises the need of a multidisciplinary approach for its treatment. Studies have presented good results about the use of occlusal splints along with other therapies. The Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment(OMT) has as characteristic the philosophy of global approach and precise functional diagnosis. Based on a lack of randomized blind trials about this subject, This study aim to contribute with the investigation of the therapeutic effect OMT in pain intensity and Quality of Life in participants diagnosed with TMD making use of occlusal splints.

Methodology:

This study is a randomized blind trial, with sample composed by 18 participants referred to the occlusion clinic of Fluminense Federal University (UFF), diagnosed by the team of dentists and interns of occlusion clinic through the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD). The participants will complete the Short Form 36 Health Survey(SF-36) to measure the quality of life, and pain intensity diagram with Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) to measure the pain intensity. The sample will be randomized into 2 groups (9 individuals for each): Test Group (TG) - patients subject to Clinical Treatment with splints (CT) offered at the Occlusion Clinic unit along with Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment - OMT. Control Group (CG) - patients subject only to CT and will receive a sham treatment that simulate the OMT to blind these participants. After the treatment, patients will be re-evaluated in 8 weeks' time.

Statistical analysis: