Mapping therapeutic exercise interventions in temporomandibular disorders: A scoping review

Objective

Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are musculoskeletal conditions causing pain and functional limitations. This scoping review aimed to map therapeutic exercise interventions described in clinical studies on TMDs.

Methods

Following Joanna Briggs Institute methodology, searches were conducted in MEDLINE, Cochrane Central, Scopus, CINAHL, Embase, PEDro, Google Scholar, and OpenGrey.

Results

Seventy-six studies were included, most prescribing oral opening movements and motor control exercises. Daily home practice was frequently prescribed, predominantly involving multiple exercise sessions per day. Guidance on whether pain should be avoided or permitted during exercise was inconsistently reported.

Conclusion

Future studies should adopt standardized terminology and pain-parameter reporting, compare single versus multi-session approaches, and assess adherence to exercises to enable meta-analysis.