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Final Program


Final Congress Guide

Clinical Sciences/Health Conditions

400 Section - Efficacy of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy in Patients with Temporomandibular Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials

Tuesday, May 19, 2026
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM PT

    Presenting Author/Autor expositor(s)

  • CL

    Ching Lu, MD

    PGY doctor
    Wanfang Hospital
    New Taipei City, Taipei, Taiwan (Republic of China)

    • Co-Author/Coautor(s)

  • HL

    Ho-Wei Lin, MD

    PGY doctor
    Wan Fang Hospital
    Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan (Republic of China)

    • Corresponding Author/Autor a quien dirigir la corr(s)

  • YC

    Yu-Hsuan Cheng, MD

    Doctor
    Wan Fang Hospital
    Taiepi, Taipei, Taiwan (Republic of China)

  • SH

    Shih-Wei Huang, MD

    Director of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine
    Wan Fang Hospital
    Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan (Republic of China)

Objectives :

Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are common musculoskeletal conditions characterized by jaw pain and functional limitation. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) is a noninvasive treatment that promotes tissue repair and modulates inflammation; however, its clinical efficacy remains unclear. This meta-analysis evaluated the therapeutic effects of ESWT in patients with TMD.


Design:

A literature search of PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials comparing ESWT with conventional physical or pharmacologic therapy in patients with TMDs.


Results:

Ten studies involving 632 participants were included. Pooled analyses revealed that ESWT significantly reduced pain [mean difference (MD) = 1.01, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.44–1.20], improved mouth movement [standardized mean difference (SMD) = 1.44, 95% CI = 0.59–2.29), reduced palpation pain (SMD = 1.06, 95% CI = 0.65–1.47), enhanced temporomandibular function (SMD = 1.22, 95% CI = 0.75–1.69), and improved the craniomandibular index (MD = 0.07, 95% CI = 0.04–0.10) compared with control treatment. Subgroup analysis indicated that diffuse shock wave therapy (DSWT) led to greater improvements in pain reduction (MD = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.38–1.04), the palpation index (MD = 0.02, 95% CI = 0.01–0.03), the dysfunction index (MD = 0.06, 95% CI = 0.03–0.09), and the craniomandibular index (MD = 0.04, 95% CI = 0.00–0.07) than focused shock wave therapy. No severe adverse effects were reported.


Conclusion:

ESWT, particularly DSWT, is an effective and safe treatment option for patients with TMDs.