Masticatory Performance In Those With Temporomandibular Joint And Muscle Disorder

Abstract

Tempormandibular Joint and Muscle Disorder (TMJMD) occurs when dysfunction arises in the joints and muscles associated with the functionality of the jaw. Apart from many other complications, one of the problems that TMJMD patients face is difficulty in masticatory performance (i.e., chewing). A population of acute TMJMD patients (N = 408) participating in an early intervention treatment program was randomized into three intervention groups: a high-risk biobehavioral group, a high-risk self-care group; and a low-risk non-intervention group. These individuals were assessed for the purposes of elucidating predictors of masticatory performance and investigating the effectiveness of a biobehavioral intervention with individuals that have TMJMD with regard to their masticatory performance and the pain associated with it. The major findings of the present study were that facial pain was a significant predictor of chewing performance pain, b = .06, SE = .01, t(379) = 9.16, p < .001, sr² = .18, and that chewing performance pain decreased over time for all participants, Mult. F(2, 152) = 65.60, p < .001, partial η² = .46, Wilks' λ = .54. Overall, this study revealed that the effects of a biobehavioral intervention are most pronounced in the amount of pain that individuals experience while they are chewing.