Article

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of upper
thoracic manipulation on pain in subjects with temporomandibular disorder.
DESIGN: Thirty-two women with a diagnosis of temporomandibular disorder were
randomly allocated to an experimental group (n = 16), submitted to upper thoracic
manipulation, and a placebo group (n = 16), submitted to a procedure in the
thoracic region with no therapeutic effect. All volunteers underwent an
evaluation of pain in the masticatory muscles and the temporomandibular joint
using an algometer and the visual analog scale before and immediately after the
procedure as well as after 48-72 hrs. Two-way repeated-measures analysis of
variance was used for the intragroup and intergroup analyses, with the level of
significance set to 5% (P < 0.05). Cohen d was calculated for the determination
of the effect size. RESULTS: No significant group-by-time interaction was found
(P > 0.05) for algometry in any analysis, and Cohen d revealed no significant
effect of the treatment. Moreover, no significant group-by-time interaction was
found for facial pain intensity determined using the visual analog scale (P >
0.05), and Cohen d also revealed no significant effect of the treatment regarding
this variable. CONCLUSIONS:
On the basis of the present findings, upper thoracic
spinal manipulation does not lead to a reduction in pain in women with
temporomandibular disorder.

Langue : ANGLAIS