Disordered Breathing in Temporomandibular Disorders: Laying the Groundwork for a Clinical Assessment Battery
Janey Prodoehl, PT, PhD

Disordered breathing (DB), defined as atypical breathing patterns without a medical cause, is a multidimensional problem that has been linked to other pain conditions including low back and neck pain and anxiety, known comorbid conditions with Temporomandibular Disorders (TMDs), yet the role of DB in TMDs remains unexplored. This presentation will show how DB assessment can be incorporated into clinical examination, providing data from case-matched individuals with and without myogenous TMDs.

Additionally, this webinar will:

1. Describe three dimensions of disordered breathing in individuals with persistent pain
2. Describe clinically relevant screening tools for disordered breathing in an orofacial pain population
3. Contrast breathing metrics in selected cases of individuals with and without myogenous temporomandibular disorder

Janey Prodoehl, PT, PhD,  has over 30 years of experience as a physical therapist primarily in out-patient orthopedics and is a Certified Cervical & Temporomandibular Therapist by the Physical Therapy Board of Craniofacial & Cervical Therapeutics (ptbcct.org). She provides physical therapy services at the Physical Therapy Institute located within the Midwestern University Multispecialty Clinic in Downers Grove, IL. Her clinical practice, teaching and research interests focus on understanding and treating problems associated with orofacial pain, neck pain and headache using an evidence based approach to diagnosis and management. She is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association and the American Academy of Orofacial Pain. She completed an orofacial pain shadowing program at the University of Kentucky and advanced training in managing upper quadrant problems.

Dr. Prodoehl’s doctoral studies examined motor control deficits in individuals with focal dystonia, and her post-doctoral work examined functional and structural neuroimaging in patients with various movement problems. She is currently leading a team in the development of a clinical practice guideline sponsored by the Academy of Orthopedic Physical Therapy, a section of the American Physical Therapy Association, on Temporomandibular Disorders: diagnosis and management for physical therapists.

1 CE credit available to AAPMD members