The Treatment of Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) with Acupuncture

Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is a blanket term used to refer to issues that arise with the temporalandibular joint (TMJ). This joint and the associated muscles are important in the movement of your jaw. According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofascial Reasearch [1], it affects between 5-12% of the population and is more prevalent in women than in men.

TMD can present with pain or tenderness worse with jaw movement, face and neck pain, clicking or popping sounds with jaw movement, swelling on the side of the face, jaw locking, or reduced jaw movement. The causes of TMD can be varied and can include abnormalities in the joint structure, inflammation of the joint or associated muscles, damage due to trauma or overuse of muscles, jaw clenching/teeth grinding (bruxism), and muscle spasms.

In western medicine, the treatment for TMD is usually by occlusal splints , medications (pain killers and muscle relaxants), physiotherapy/massage, or even dental surgery. Acupuncture can be used alone or in conjunction with western medical interventions to treat TMD.

Acupuncture can significantly reduce the symptoms of TMD [2], and can achieve lasting improvement in symptoms [3]. A pilot whole systems clinical trial, where acupuncturists not only treated the TMD but treated all aspects of the patient, suggested that it may provide greater improvement than western medical interventions [4]. This means that the comprehensive evaluation used in acupuncture, whereby a patient is treated according to their constitution as well as the TMD symptomology, may find greater benefit than if only the symptoms of the TDM were treated in isolation.

Citations:

1. https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/research/data-statistics/facial-pain/prevalence

2. Johansson A, Wennberg B, Wagersten C, Haraldson T. Acupuncture in treatment of facial muscular pain. Acta Odontol Scand. 1991;49:153-158.

3. Bergström I, List T, Magnusson T. A follow-up study of subjective symptoms of temporomandibular disorders in patients who received acupuncture and/or interocclusal appliance therapy 18-20 years earlier. Acta Odontol Scand. 2008;66(2):88-92.

4. Ritenbaugh C, Hammerschlag R, Calabrese C, et.al. A pilot whole systems clinical trial of traditional Chinese medicine and naturopathic medicine for the treatment of temporomandibular disorders. J Altern Complement Med. 2008;14(5):475-487