Effect of Massage Therapy and Occlusal Splint Therapy on the Electromyographic Activity and Mandibular Range of Motion in Individuals With Temporomandibular Disorder

The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of massage therapy and occlusal splint therapy in the electromyographic activity and mandibular range of motion (ROM) in individuals with temporomandibular disorder (TMD) and compare the results with those obtained in a group of individuals without this disorder. Twenty-eight volunteers with TMD were randomly distributed into two groups, massage therapy and occlusal splint. Both treatments lasted 4 weeks. Fourteen individuals without TMD were consecutively allocated to the control group. The Fonseca's anamnestic index was used to characterize TMD and allocate the volunteers to either the intervention groups or control group. The electromyographic activity and Mandibular ROM was evaluated before and after treatment using a digital caliper. Two-way analysis of variance with the Bonferroni test was used for inter and intragroup comparisons (level of significance was set to 5%). Cohen's d was used to calculate the effect size.

Inclusion Criteria:

• male and female volunteers
• aged 18 to 40 years

Exclusion Criteria:

• occurrence of missing teeth
• current use of orthodontic appliance
• history of systemic or joint disease
• current use of analgesic, anti-inflammatory agent or muscle relaxant and currently undergoing physical therapy.