The effectiveness of the self-care protocol in managing pain in Tempro-mandibular joint disordered patients: Scope review

Background: Temporomandibular Joint disorder (TMD) consists of a variety of conditions which affect the jaw joints, surrounding muscles and ligaments. It can be caused by trauma, improper bites, or arthritis. These conditions are usually associated with pain and dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint, masticatory muscles, and other bone structures. Self-care protocol is a non-invasive approach. Self-care is commonly an initial management method for temporomandibular disordered patients.

Objectives: This review aims to assess the effectiveness of self-care in managing pain in TMJ-disordered patients when applied alone and in combination with other management methods.

Contents: This is a rapid review of the literature. The review was done in the databases Science Direct, Pubmed and Google Scholar. Articles in English published between 2010 and 2022 were included. Twelve articles were selected. These articles were included in accordance with predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Conclusion: There are two main goals in the management of temporomandibular disordered patients: the reduction of pain and the improvement of function. Self-care protocols are effective in achieving these two goals. TMJ-disordered patients present faster improvement in TMJ pain symptoms when self-care is combined with any other TMJ management methods.