Effect of therapeutic jaw exercise on temporomandibular disorders in individuals with chronic whiplash-associated disorders.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a specific therapeutic jaw exercise on the temporomandibular disorders of patients with chronic whiplash-associated disorders.

Material And Methods: Ninety-four consecutive patients with whiplash-related conditions were referred to and accepted for a treatment period at a center for functional evaluation and rehabilitation during 2001-2002. The patients followed a program of physical therapy, occupational therapy, and pain management. At the start of their stay, they were examined by a physician specialized in rehabilitation medicine and also by a dentist who performed a functional examination of the stomatognathic system. Of the 93 patients who accepted participation in the study, 55 were diagnosed with temporomandibular disorders and chronic whiplash-associated disorders in accordance with the inclusion criteria. They were randomized into a jaw exercise group (n = 25), who performed specific therapeutic jaw exercises, and a control group (n = 30). Both groups undertook the whiplash rehabilitation program at the center.

Results: There were no inter- or intra-group differences in symptoms and signs of temporomandibular disorders at baseline, nor at the 3-week and 6-month follow-ups, except for an increase of maximum active mouth-opening capacity in the control group.

Conclusions: In conclusion, the therapeutic jaw exercises, in addition to the regular whiplash rehabilitation program, did not reduce symptoms and signs of temporomandibular disorders in patients with chronic whiplash-associated disorders.