A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PROPRIOCEPTIVE NEUROMUSCULAR FACILITATION (PNF) VERSUS GOLDFISH EXERCISE IN REDUCING PAIN AND IMPROVING RANGE OF MOTION AMONG PATIENTS WITH TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT DYSFUNCTION

Background: Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are a collective term for conditions affecting the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), the masticatory muscles, and associated structures, characterised by pain, joint sounds, and restricted mandibular movement. Reported prevalence in the adult population ranges from approximately 20% to 31%, with a higher occurrence in women and in individuals aged 20–40 years. Aim: To compare the effectiveness of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) and Goldfish exercise in reducing pain and improving range of motion (ROM) among patients with TMJ dysfunction. Methodology: A comparative experimental study was conducted on 30 participants aged 20–50 years with myogenic TMJ pain, randomly allocated into two equal groups. Group A (n = 15) received PNF and Group B (n = 15) received Goldfish exercise, five sessions a week for six weeks. Outcome Measures: Pain was assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and jaw mobility was assessed using maximum mouth opening (MMO), measured in millimetres. Results: Both groups showed a statistically significant reduction in pain and improvement in ROM from pre- to post-intervention (p < 0.001). The improvement was greater in Group A than in Group B. Conclusion: Both PNF and Goldfish exercise are effective in reducing pain and improving ROM in TMJ dysfunction, but PNF produced a greater improvement.