Positive Health Online

Abstract

CRIDER and GLAROS, Department of Psychology, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts USA reviewed the literature of more than 2 decades regarding treatments incorporating electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback for temporamandibular disorders (TMD) in order to determine the efficacy of biofeedback-based treatments.

Background

Methodology

The authors conducted a literature search which located 13 studies of EMG biofeedback treatment for TMD, which included 6 controlled, 4 comparative treatment and 3 uncontrolled trials. The outcomes evaluated were: patient pain reports, clinical exam findings and global improvement.

Results

5 of the 6 controlled trials determined EMG biofeedback treatments superior to no treatment or psychological placebo controls for at least 1 of the 3 types of outcome. Data from 12 studies contributed to a meta-analysis which compared pre- to posttreatment effect sizes for EMG biofeedback treatments to effect sizes for control conditions. The mean effect sizes for both reported pain and clinical exam outcomes were substantially larger for biofeedback treatment than for control conditions. Compared with 35% of patients treated with a variety of placebo interventions, 69% of patients receiving EMG biofeedback treatments were rated as symptom-free or significantly improved. The follow-up outcomes for EMG biofeedback treatments shoed no deterioration from post-treatment levels.

Conclusion

The available data from the literature support the efficacy of EMG biofeedback treatment for TMD, although the data is limited in extent.

References

Crider AB and Glaros AG. A meta-analysis of EMG biofeedback treatment of temporamandibular disorders. Journal of Orofacial Pain 13(1): 29-37. Winter 1999.