Abstract
ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical effects of laser acupuncture therapy for temporomandibular disorders (TMD) after ineffective previous treatments.MethodsA retrospective observational study was conducted in 29 treatment-resistant TMD patients (25 women, 4 men; age range, 17–67 years). Subjects were treated 3 times per week for 4 weeks with the Handylaser Trion (GaAlAs laser diode, 810 nm, 150 mW, pulsed waves), which delivered 0.375 J of energy (5 s) to ST7, ST6, and LI4 and 3 J (40 s) to each Ashi point, 7.5–26.25 J/cm2 in total. The visual analog scale (VAS) and maximal mouth opening (MMO) were evaluated before and after treatment.ResultsVAS analysis showed that the patients were free of pain at rest (endpoint) after 5.90±6.08 sessions of laser acupuncture for acute TMD and after 16.21±17.98 sessions for chronic TMD. The VAS score on palpation of the temporomandibular joint reduced to 0.30±0.67 for patients with acute TMD (p = 0.005) and to 0.47±0.84 for those with chronic TMD (p<0.001). The MMO significantly increased in patients with acute TMD (7.80±5.43 mm, p = 0.008) and in patients with chronic TMD (15.58±7.87 mm, p<0.001).ConclusionsOur study shows that laser acupuncture therapy improves the symptoms of treatment-resistant TMD. Further studies with a more appropriate design, involving long-term follow-up examinations in a larger patient sample, are needed to evaluate its efficacy.
Highlights
Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is a collective term traditionally used to describe multiple disorders, including intracapsular disorders, true abnormalities of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), and muscular disorders or myofascial pain dysfunction (MPD) syndrome [1]
The primary symptoms associated with TMD include facial muscle pain, preauricular (TMJ) pain, TMJ sounds, limited mouth opening, and increased pain associated with chewing
After 5.9066.08 therapeutic sessions, the acute TMD patients reported that they were free of pain at rest; in contrast, chronic TMD patients required 16.21617.98 therapeutic sessions before they could report a similar outcome (Table 2)
Summary
Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is a collective term traditionally used to describe multiple disorders, including intracapsular disorders, true abnormalities of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), and muscular disorders or myofascial pain dysfunction (MPD) syndrome [1]. In the adult non-patient population, approximately 33% reported at least one TMD symptom, and clinical findings revealed at least one TMD sign in 40%–75% of the population [2]. It can be a very painful condition, leading to significant deterioration in the patient’s quality of life. The primary symptoms associated with TMD include facial muscle pain, preauricular (TMJ) pain, TMJ sounds (jaw clicking, popping, catching, and locking), limited mouth opening, and increased pain associated with chewing. The secondary symptoms are earache, headache, and neck ache [3]
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