
Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJD) and Ultrasound-guided Prolotherapy
Temporomandibular joint pain & dysfunction most often improves with time, multi-modal rehabilitation, and/or with splinting and dental realignment. However, there is a sub-section of the population that has ongoing muscle tension and pain that is caused by a hypermobile temporomandibular joint capsular ligament. TMJD from ligamentous laxity is a clinical diagnosis based on a history of being born with looser ligaments or a history of trauma that might have sheered the TMJ capsular ligament. With provocation testing a qualified medical practitioner can usually discern joint hypermobility. There is mounting evidence that supports the use of prolotherapy, a hypertonic dextrose solution, to stimulate your body's own healing cascade to focus its attention on stiffening the capsular ligament that is causing the pain & dysfunction. Ultrasound-guidance offers the added benefit of safety and accuracy to the procedure. It can take 4-9 treatment sessions at a 2-6 week interval to provide a cumulative effect of stiffening and thus improved pain and function.