Journal of oral rehabilitation
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No studies have investigated the effects of the treatments directed at the cervical spine in patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Our aim was to investigate the effects of joint mobilization and exercise directed at the cervical spine on pain intensity and pressure pain sensitivity in the muscles of mastication in patients with TMD. Nineteen patients (14 females), aged 19-57 years, with myofascial TMD were included. ⋯ Significant differences were found between pre-intervention and both post-intervention and follow-up periods (P < 0.001) but not between the post-intervention and follow-up period (P > 0.7). Within-group effect sizes were large (d > 0.8) for both post-intervention and follow-up periods. The application of treatment directed at the cervical spine may be beneficial in decreasing pain intensity, increasing PPTs over the masticatory muscles and an increasing pain-free mouth opening in patients with myofascial TMD.