Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This was a randomized clinical trial to compare the analgesic effect of acupuncture and percutaneous electric nerve stimulation for chronic masseter muscle masticatory myalgia. METHODS: Participated in the study 23 patients with unilateral or bilateral masticatory myalgia, who were selected according to Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders and were distributed in two groups. Acupuncture and percutaneous electric nerve stimulation groups were made up of 12 and 11 patients, respectively. In each group, patients were submitted to two weekly treatment sessions lasting 20 minutes, in a total of 9 sessions. Selected points for the acupuncture group were IG4, E36, F3, ShemMen (bilateral auricular), VG20 and Yintang. Needles were inserted and stimulated until “De Qi” was obtained, then remaining without stimulation until procedure completion. In the electric stimulation group, symptomatic points were identified by manual palpation and electric stimulation was applied. Both groups have described pain intensity by means of the visual analog scale, before the first, fifth and ninth sessions. Results were evaluated with Student t and F (ANOVA) tests. RESULTS: There has been mean visual analog scale scores decrease in both groups at each measurement, being that in the last measurement the acupuncture group had statistically lower mean as compared to the percutaneous electric nerve stimulation group. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture and percutaneous electric nerve stimulation are effective methods to improve masseter muscle masticatory myalgia in the short term.
Highlights
This was a randomized clinical trial to compare the analgesic effect of acupuncture and percutaneous electric nerve stimulation for chronic masseter muscle masticatory myalgia
Participated in the study 23 patients with unilateral or bilateral masticatory myalgia, who were selected according to Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders and were distributed in two groups
Masticatory myalgia (MM) is deep somatic pain, characterized by fatigue or pain worsened by jaw passive or functional movement, which may limit mouth opening[1]
Summary
Masticatory myalgia (MM) is deep somatic pain, characterized by fatigue or pain worsened by jaw passive or functional movement, which may limit mouth opening[1]. Acupuncture and percutaneous electric nerve stimulation to control chronic masticatory myalgia: preliminary study gger-points (TP), behavioral therapy, occlusal splints, drugs and placebo[2]. Pharmacological therapies, such as muscle relaxants and antidepressants, have been widely applied to control such myalgias[3], they have adverse effects. PENS is considered a new electroanalgesia modality, with the therapeutic advantages of transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) and of electroacupuncture[8,9] It consists in inserting acupuncture needles associated to bipolar electric conduits in the region of the dermatome corresponding to the source of pain[9,10]. AND OBJECTIVES: This was a randomized clinical trial to compare the analgesic effect of acupuncture and percutaneous electric nerve stimulation for chronic masseter muscle masticatory myalgia.
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