Abstract

Introduction: There is considerable controversy surrounding craniosacral therapy (CsTh). To date, there have been few research studies examining the effects of CsTh when used to treat dysfunction of the musculature of the craniomandibular joint.

Materials and Methods: Five craniosacral techniques (CsT) were used and their effects recorded with time/motion analysis. The study was carried out under placebo-controlled conditions with the intention of providing relevant data. Opening and closing speeds (velocity) of the mandible were measured twice on all test subjects using the K7 measuring system (Myotronics, Tukwila, WA, USA) in order to objectively record and display graphically the kinetic differences pre- and post-CsTh treatment.

Results: The jaw closing speed was clearly increased after the initial CsTh treatment in both test subjects requiring treatment (dysfunctional group) and healthy test subjects. Terminal velocity at the time of tooth contact during rapid closing of the jaw was also significantly increased in both groups.

Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate that where there exist craniomandibular dysfunctions that are not the result of problems with occlusion, the movement of the mandible could be influenced by CsTh treatment. This research indicates that the arthrokinetic dysfunctions in the musculature of the craniomandibular system may be positively influenced by CsT.

Keywords: Craniosacral Therapy; Craniomandibular Dysfunction; Kinematographic Validation

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Citation

Citation: Johann Lechner., et al. “The Effects of Craniosacral Techniques on the Kinematics of the Craniomandibular Joint – Kinematographic Validation”.Acta Scientific Dental Sciences 4.3 (2020): 27-35.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2020 Johann Lechner., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.