2025 Volume 76 Issue 1 Pages 20-23
We report a case of temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJD) in a patient diagnosed with a long-term illness accompanied by psychological symptoms. A 79-year-old woman presented with a 10-year history of pain around both TMJs. She was diagnosed with TMJD and received anti-inflammatory pain medications, as well as oral appliance therapy ; however, her symptoms persisted. Although psychosocial factors were considered to be contributors to her condition, the patient refused psychological therapy and sought treatment at a clinic that specialized in Kampo medicine. Considering her abdominal signs, which included upper abdominal muscle strain and middle epigastrium tenderness, the patient was prescribed saikokeishito (SAKT). Her TMJD and psychological symptoms improved rapidly following 2-week SAKT treatment (5.0 g/day). Individualized treatment using Kampo medicine may be potentially useful for rapid symptom improvement in patients with TMJD. This case report highlights that treatment by pattern (sho) identification may be effective for rapid improvement of TMJD symptoms.
