Effectiveness of Rocabado exercises in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in remission with temporomandibular joint involvement: A randomized-controlled study

This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of Rocabado exercises in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in remission with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) involvement. Between May 2023 and July 2023, a total of 42 patients (4 males, 38 females; mean age: 47.8±13.9 years; range, 21 to 73 years) were included in this single-center, single-blind, randomized-controlled study. Only the RA patients in remission for at least three months, with TMJ complaints and who had TMJ involvement detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were included. The patients were randomized into the Rocabado exercise group (n=21) and standard TMJ exercise group (n=21). The home-based exercise programs for both groups continued for six weeks. A Visual Analog Scale (VAS) was used to evaluate pain. The TMJ examination findings were recorded. The maximum interincisal distances were measured. To evaluate the quality of life, the patients were asked to fill the Turkish Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14). Demographic and baseline characteristics were similar between the groups. Standard TMJ exercises group showed an improvement only for OHIP-14 after treatment. Rocabado exercises group showed a statistically significant improvement for interincisal distance, OHIP-14, VAS pain, number of patients with limited mouth opening, TMJ pain with palpation, and pterygoid pain with palpation after treatment. Our study results indicate that Rocabado exercises may be effective in RA patients with TMJ involvement in relieving pain and improving the quality of life due to oral health.