Effectiveness of a home exercise program when added to a conventional physiotherapy program in patients with temporomandibular disorders: A comparative study

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of a home exercise program on pain and quality of life (QoL) in TMD. Methods: Twenty patients were included in the study. The Group A received both a home exercise program and a physiotherapy program, while only a physiotherapy program was given to the Group B. Pain was measured using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and QoL using the Short-Form 36 (SF-36). Results: Pain decreased in both groups (p < 0.05). Among the SF-36 domains, bodily pain, vitality and social functioning scores improved in the Group A, while only the bodily pain parameter improved in the Group B (p < 0.05). On between-group comparison, the positive effect on pain and quality of life was greater in the Group A (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The addition of a home exercise program to the conventional physiotherapy program provided greater improvement in pain and QoL in patients with TMD.