Diathermy, a noninvasive treatment that uses deep heat to relax the muscles and joints, may reduce temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain and improve movement, according to a study recently published in the International Journal of Dentistry.
Though the treatment may not provide a full recovery, diathermy can still improve TMJ-related symptoms and enhance quality of life (QoL) in patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs), the authors wrote.
“The outcomes obtained cannot be considered total recovery from problems, but according to the results, diathermy applications can be regarded as beneficial for improving TMJ-related disorders,” wrote the authors, led by Funda Goker of the University of Milan Department of Biomedical, Surgical, and Dental Sciences in Milan (Int J Dent, December 8, 2025).
The study used 47 questions from the diagnostic criteria for TMDs (DC-TMDs) questionnaire to measure pain, jaw mobility, and QoL effects. It included 10 patients ages 22 to 50 who had TMJ complaints without internal joint displacement. From February 2022 to February 2024, each patient received weekly diathermy treatments for five sessions, they wrote.
For treatment, a metal plate and conductive gel were used to guide radio waves and reduce impedance during the procedure. Extraoral diathermy was applied bilaterally to the cheeks, mandibular angle, and TMJ area, and questionnaire results were collected at each visit (T0: first diathermy simulation, T1: second session, T2: third session, T3: fourth session, Tf: fifth session).
Anxiety levels decreased moderately from 31.85% at T0 to 28.15% at Tf. TMJ sounds also dropped from 9.26% to 3.33%, indicating a clear improvement. Additionally, muscle pain declined, falling from 37.78% to 22.22% and demonstrating pain relief, they wrote.
TMJ blocking decreased from 5.19% at T0 to 0.37% at Tf, suggesting better joint mobility. Among all measures, only mandibular functional limitation showed a statistically significant reduction (p = 0.0216), decreasing from 30.37% to 11.48%.
Nevertheless, the study was limited by its short follow-up period and small sample size. Larger, well-designed trials are needed to produce more reliable evidence, the authors added.
“Diathermy applications can be regarded as beneficial for improving TMJ-related disorders, which can increase the QoL of such patients,” Goker and colleagues concluded.
