Comparison of Kinesio Taping and manual therapy in the treatment of patients with bruxism using shear‐wave elastography—A randomised clinical trial

Abstract

Background Bruxism is significantly associated with craniofacial pain, feeling of stiffness or fatigue of the jaw and neck pain. Various physiotherapeutic strategies are used in the treatment of bruxism; however, it is not clear which method leads to greater decrease in pain. Objective The aim of this study is to compare the effects of two physiotherapy methods (manual therapy [MT] and Kinesio taping with manual therapy [KTMT]) in patients with bruxism. Methods Patients were randomised into MT or KTMT groups. Evaluations were performed at baseline and following 4 weeks of physiotherapy. Muscle thickness and stiffness were assessed via shear wave elastography; pain thresholds were evaluated using algometer. Sleep quality was assessed using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and quality of life was assessed with Likert scales regarding the associated symptoms. Results Significant decreases were found in muscle stiffness, pain threshold, sleep quality and quality of life (P < .05) in both MT and KTMT groups. Pain in bilateral temporalis and right occipital region of the trapezius muscle decreased more in the KTMT group compared with the MT group (P < .05). No significant differences in muscle thickness (P > .05) were found in either of the groups. Conclusion Both MT and KTMT methods were effective in the treatment of bruxism. Kinesio Tape used in conjunction with MT has additionally decreased jaw pain and temporal region pain compared with MT intervention only. Therefore, if jaw pain is the primary complaint of a patient, our results recommend including Kinesio Tape application in the physiotherapeutic treatment program.

Kinesio Taping as an alternative therapy for limited mandibular mobility with pain in female patients with temporomandibular disorders: A randomized controlled trial

“…The results showed that both methods were effective in treating bruxism, with the combination of MT and KT resulting in further reduction of jaw pain and tem poral pain compared to MT alone. 52 In a metaanalysis by Meneses Emérito et al, taping was found to provide sig nificant pain relief (measured using the visual analog scale (VAS)) after 1 week of treatment, compared to other meth ods analyzed. However, the authors noted that the limited number of studies and their biases limited the results.…”

Association between elasticity of tissue and pain pressure threshold in the tender points present in subjects with fibromyalgia: a cross-sectional study

“…Previous studies have described using SEL in different organs, such as liver fibrosis, breast, thyroid, prostate, kidney and lymph node or low back pain 13 , 34 , 35 . In this regard, SEL has been used to analyse the effectiveness of different interventions such as radiofrequency 27 , 36 ;radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy 37 , manual therapy 38 and conservative physical therapy 39 , 40 in diverse pathologies. Additionally, there is a previous study in which SEL was used to evaluate the effects of photobiomodulation on tissues in patients with FM 27 .…”

Sleep related movement disorders in the elderly: a review of recent literature

“…Massage therapy and Kinesio tape may also play a role in treating SB (Keskinruzgar et al, 2019;Gerstner et al, 2020). Biofeedback splints that can provide sensory feedback in response to nocturnal masticatory clenching is another area that is under investigation for the treatment of SB, but concerns regarding the potential disruptive effects on sleep are an important consideration (Ilovar et al, 2014;Volkan-Yazici et al, 2021).…”