Comparison And Evaluation Of Interferential Current Therapy And Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation In Temporomandibular Joint Disorders: A Prospective Interventional Study

Aim: This study evaluated the effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and interferential current therapy (IFT) to decrease jaw pain and muscle tenderness, improve maximum vertical mouth opening, and compare intra-operative patient comfort. Methodology: This comparative study was conducted in the outpatient oral and maxillofacial surgery department of the SRM Kattankulathur Dental College and Hospital. Twenty participants with chronic or recurrent jaw pain were randomly assigned to either Group A or Group B for the study. IFT and TENS were administered to Groups A and B. They were evaluated for intra-operative comfort, muscle tenderness, mouth opening, and pain over three treatment sessions. Results: Both groups showed improvement in pain, muscle tenderness, and mouth opening after three follow-up sessions. Compared to TENS, IFT significantly improved patient comfort (p<0.05). While there was no significant difference in pain and muscle tenderness reduction between the two groups at 5% significance level (p<0.05), IFT demonstrated slightly better improvement in vertical mouth opening. Conclusion: IFT is frequently employed to treat musculoskeletal disorders; however, its effectiveness in alleviating pain associated with temporomandibular disorders is still poorly understood. This study observed significant pain reduction in both IFT and TENS groups, along with a decrease in masticatory muscle and TMJ tenderness and improvement in mouth opening. Compared to TENS, IFT provided superior intra-operative comfort hence overcoming the drawback associated with TENS. These findings suggest that IFT may serve as an effective therapeutic option for temporomandibular disorder