TMD Case Study
TMD Case Study
Case Description: Patient was a healthy 15 y.o. female who presented to physical therapy with complaints of left greater than right jaw pain with popping that began to develop at 11 years of age but had progressively become more painful. She also reported daily headaches. In the several weeks prior to PT she was experiencing significant pain complaints with yawning, eating, talking, social activities. She was scheduled to have her wisdom teeth extracted and her oral surgeon was concerned that her current limitations and pain would impact her tolerance to surgery.
Objective Measures: The patient was seen for 14 physical therapy visits over a 2 month period
| Tests and Measures | Initial Evaluation | Day of Discharge from Physical Therapy |
| VAS for Pain | 7/10 | 0-4/10 |
| Temporamandibular Disability Index | 23% disability | 7% Impairment |
| Headache Impact Test | (69) Severe impact on daily life | (46) Very little impact on daily life |
| Vertical mandibular depression/opening | 31 mm with significant pain | 40 mm – no pain complaints |
Summary: At discharge, the patient was able to open her mouth without pain or significant deflection and had returned to a normal diet with significantly reduced headaches. She had successfully undergone a wisdom tooth extraction procedure without a flare up or irritation and had much more confidence in the self-management of her jaw pain and headaches.
Patient Comments at Discharge: “My jaw doesn’t hurt nearly as badly as it had and I am much more aware of my posture and foods/activities that impact my jaw. I am no longer experiencing daily headaches!”
Sincerely,