Volume 28, Issue 154, December 2024

Effectiveness of Muscle Energy Technique and Intra-Oral Massage on Helkimo Index and pain in myogenic temporomandibular dysfunction: A case report

Shilpa Chourasia¹, Divyashri Radhakrishnan^2♦, Kiran Mendhe³

¹Professor and Head of Department Musculoskeletal Sciences Department of Physiotherapy, V.S.P.M.’s College of Physiotherapy, Digdoh Hills, Hingna Road, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
²Postgraduate student V.S.P.M.’s College of Physiotherapy, Digdoh Hills, Hingna Road, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
³Associate Professor, Department of Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy, V.S.P. M’s College of Physiotherapy, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India

^♦Corresponding Author
Postgraduate student V.S.P.M.’s College of Physiotherapy, Digdoh Hills, Hingna Road, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India

ABSTRACT

Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) refers to a group of conditions which involves the orofacial region dividing into those affecting the masticatory muscle & those affecting the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). This case report discusses about a 27-year-old female suffering from myogenic TMD who had limited mouth opening, and frequent migraines apart from chronic jaw pain. She had a high Helkimo Index score with an increased pain levels on the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Objective of the 2-week intervention program was to reduce pain and maximize jaw function with Muscle energy Technique (MET) & Intra-Oral Massage (IOM). Assessment at the baseline revealed extensive discomfort and difficulty in jaw movements. Patient's VAS pain level had dropped from 7 to 2 in 2nd week and also had scored a lower Helkimo index. She had increased jaw movement, pain reduction and henceforth improved activity in daily life. MET and IOM as adjunctive therapies helps in managing myogenic TMD, indicating that a combination of manual therapy approaches can offer patients complete and long-lasting relief. More studies should be carried out of these combinations of therapies to probe essential advantages in the long term.

Keywords: Myogenic TMD, VAS, Helkimo score, Pain, Masseter

Medical Science, 2024, 28, e148ms3417

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v28i154.e148ms3417

Published: 07 December 2024