Temporomandibular disorders and the use of traditional and laser acupuncture: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate current studies to establish and compare the efficacy of traditional and laser acupuncture in reducing the signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD). METHODS: PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched. Clinical, controlled, and randomized trials written in English and having used traditional or laser acupuncture as therapy for TMD and RDC/TMD or DC/TMD as a diagnostic criterion for TMD were included. RESULTS: Six studies that evaluated the intensity of pain and the level of mouth opening of the patients submitted to acupuncture were selected, and all showed improvement. However, similar results were also observed in the groups treated with occlusal splint and placebo acupuncture. Only one study evaluated laser acupuncture and showed a higher proportion of patients with remission of symptoms in the experimental group. CONCLUSION: The traditional acupuncture seems to relieve the signs and symptoms of TMD, as well as laser acupuncture when associated with occlusal splint. However, more rigorous and high-quality clinical trials are needed.

Short-Term Effect of Scalp Acupuncture on Pain, Sleep Disorders, and Quality of Life in Patients with Temporomandibular Disorders: A A Randomized Clinical Trial.

OBJETIVE: To evaluate the effects of Chinese scalp acupuncture in patients diagnosed with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) on pain, sleep, and quality of life (QOL), and compare these results with the results from traditional therapies. METHODS: Sixty patients diagnosed with TMD using the research diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders (RDC/TMD) were allocated into four treatment groups: counseling (C = 15), occlusal splint (OS = 15), scalp acupuncture (SA = 15), and manual therapy (MT = 15). Participants were re-evaluated within 1 month. Three questionnaires were used to access sleep disorders, QOL, and pain: The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-bref), and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), respectively. The data obtained were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Science program (SPSS 22.0). RESULTS: The SA group significantly improved pain (P = .015), as well as the OS (P = .01) and MT groups (P = .014). Only the OS (P = .002) and MT (P = .029) groups improved sleep. MT group significantly improved QOL in terms of the physical domain of the WHOQOL-bref (P = .011) and the OS group in the psychological domain (P = .012). CONCLUSIONS: The scalp acupuncture proved to be another alternative for pain relief in patients with TMD, demonstrating positive results in the short term. However, it was not as effective in improving quality of life and sleep.

Efeito a curto prazo da crâniopuntura sobre a dor, distúrbios do sono e qualidade de vida, em pacientes com disfunção temporomandibular: ensaio clinico randomizado / Short-term effect of craniopuncture on pain, sleep disorders and quality of life in patients with temporomandibular disorders: randomized clinical trial

Introdução: A crâniopuntura, modalidade da acupuntura realizada no couro cabeludo, tem sido incorporada no tratamento de várias patologias, principalmente para o alívio da dor crônica. Porém, atualmente não há estudos sobre seu uso na DTM, principal condição de dor orofacial crônica. Objetivo: Avaliar os efeitos da crâniopuntura chinesa em pacientes diagnosticados com DTM, quanto ao sono, à qualidade de vida e a dor; bem como comparar seus resultados ao de terapias tradicionais. Métodos: sessenta pacientes diagnosticados com DTM por meio do Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD) foram alocados em quatro grupos de tratamento: Aconselhamento (AC =15), Placa Oclusal (PO=15), Crâniopuntura (CP=15) e Fisioterapia Manual (FM=15). O grupo CP foi conduzido em oito sessões, duas por semana, durante quatro semanas. Após um mês de tratamento os participantes foram reavaliados. Foi aplicado o questionário Índice de Qualidade do Sono de Pittsburgh (PSQI) com relação aos distúrbios do sono, World Health Organization Quality Of Life (WHOQOL-bref) a respeito da qualidade de vida e a Escala Visual Analógica (EVA) quanto à dor. Os dados obtidos foram analisados por meio do programa Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS 22.0), sendo utilizado o teste de Kruskal-Wallis para dados não paramétricos (p< 0,05) para análise intergrupo, o pós-teste de Mann Whitney, e o Teste de Classificações Assinadas por Wilcoxon para a análise intragrupo (p< 0,05). Resultados: O grupo CP melhorou significativamente os parâmetros relativos à dor (p=0,015), assim como os grupos PO (p=0,01) e FM (p=0,014), após 30 dias de tratamento. Contudo apenas os grupos PO (p=0,002) e FM (p=0,029) melhoraram a qualidade do sono, já quanto a qualidade de vida somente o grupo FM melhorou de forma significativa o domínio físico do WHOQOL (p=0,011) e o grupo PO o domínio psicológico (p=0,012). Conclusão: A crâniopuntura demonstrou em curto prazo resultados positivos em pacientes com DTM, reduzindo significativamente a dor, da mesma forma que a placa oclusal e a fisioterapia manual, mostrando-se superior ao aconselhamento. Sendo, portanto, mais uma alternativa as terapias convencionais (AU).

Introduction: Scalp acupuncture, a form of acupuncture, has been incorporated in the treatment of various pathologies, mainly for the relief of chronic pain. However, there are currently no studies on its use in TMD, the main condition of chronic orofacial pain. Objective: To evaluate the effects of Chinese scalp acupuncture in patients diagnosed with TMD regarding sleep, quality of life and pain. As well, as compare their results to traditional therapies. Methods: Sixty patients diagnosed with TMD by Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC / TMD) Diagnostic Research Criteria were allocated into four treatment groups: Counseling (CO = 15), Occlusal Splint (OS = 15), Craniopuncture (CP = 15) and Manual Physiotherapy (MP = 15). The CP group was conducted in eight sessions, two a week, for four weeks. After one month of treatment the participants were reevaluated. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire was applied regarding sleep disorders, World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-bref), quality of life, and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain. . The analyzed data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Science program (SPSS 22.0), using the Kruskal-Wallis test for nonparametric data (p <0.05) for intergroup analysis, or postoperatively. Mann Whitney test, and the Wilcoxon Signed Classification Test for intragroup analysis (p <0.05). Results: The CP group improved pain parameters (p = 0.015), as did the OS (p = 0.01) and MP (p = 0.014) groups after 30 days of treatment. However, only the OS (p = 0.002) and MP (p = 0.029) groups improved sleep quality, whereas with quality of life only the MP group improved the significant form of the WHOQOL physical domain (p = 0.011) and the group OS the psychological domain (p = 0.012). Conclusion: Scalp acupuncture demonstrated positive short-term results in TMD patients, significantly reducing pain, as well as occlusal splint and manual physiotherapy, being superior to counseling. Therefore, being another alternative to conventional therapies (AU).