Physical therapy in the management of myofacial pain dysfunction syndrome.

A study of the effectiveness of physical therapy for patients with myofacial pain dysfunction syndrome was performed. Clinical evaluation of 120 patients revealed marked male preponderance, distribution according to age showed a great prevalence of the third decade, and most common chief complaints were pain and muscle tenderness. Patients were classified randomly into three equal groups treated by muscle relaxant drugs, shortwave diathermy, and ultrasonic therapy, respectively. Regular follow-up was carried out for 6 to 12 months to assess patients' responses to different forms of treatment. Evaluation revealed marked relief of symptoms by the use of physical therapy, and the best results were obtained by the use of ultrasonic therapy.