title: Physical therapy and anesthetic blockage for treating temporomandibular disorders: a clinical trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  the aim of this study was to evaluate the use of physical therapy and anesthetic blockage of the auriculotemporal nerve as a treatment for temporomandibular joint disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  the sample comprised of twenty patients with a diagnosis of disc displacement with/ without reduction and arthralgia according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD Axis I Group IIa, IIb and IIIa). Ten patients (group 1) underwent a cycle of eight anesthetic blockages of the auriculotemporal nerve with injections (1 per week) of 1 ml of bupivacaine 0.5% without vasoconstrictor for 8 weeks. The other 10 patients (group 2) received anesthetic blockage and physical therapy (massage and muscular stretching exercises). After the end of treatment all patients were evaluated at baseline, 1st week, 4th week and 2 months. The t-Student and F (ANOVA) tests were used for statistical analysis, with a significance rate of 5%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  there was a significant difference when both groups were compared according to VAS score (p=0.027). There was no significant difference for the other variables: MMO and jaw protrusion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  the anesthetic blockage and physical therapy, when used together, are effective in the reduction of pain in patients with TMD.
authors.affiliation: PhD program in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Pernambuco, Recife-Brazil.
authors.forename: Mirella-Marques
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Nascimento
authors.forename: Belmiro-Cavalcanti
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Vasconcelos
authors.forename: Gabriela-Granja
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Porto
authors.forename: Greiciane
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ferdinanda
authors.forename: Cyntia-Medeiros
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Nogueira
authors.forename: Ronaldo-de Carvalho
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Raimundo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009407:Nerve Block; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000628:therapy*