Effects of low-power laser auriculotherapy on the physical and emotional aspects in patients with temporomandibular disorders: A blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the effects of low-power laser auriculotherapy (LA) on the physical and emotional symptoms of patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs), in comparison with occlusal splints (OS). DESIGN: Randomized, blinded, prospective, non-inferiority clinical trial. INTERVENTIONS: The patients received OS (control group) or LA (experimental group). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Following the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) guidelines, patients with TMD were evaluated by using axes I and II of the Research Diagnostic Criteria for RDC-TMD. Both intra- and intergroup quantitative variables were analyzed with ANOVA (p < 0.05), while qualitative variables were analyzed with the Kruskal-Wallis (intergroup evaluations; p < 0.05) or Mann-Whitney tests (intragroup analyses; p < 0.05). RESULTS: OS improved five physical symptoms of TMD (pain in the right temporal muscle, right and left masseter muscles, left joint, and left intraoral region), while LA improved six (jaw functioning; pain in left masseter muscle, right and left joints, and right and left intraoral regions). Similarly, OS improved seven emotional symptoms (degree of depression, degree of non-specific physical symptoms, excluding pain, degree of non-specific physical symptoms including pain, average pain value in the past 6 months, presence of depression, intensity and characteristics of pain, non-specific physical symptoms including pain), while LA improved five (degree of non-specific physical symptoms including pain, presence of depression, intensity and characteristics of pain, non-specific physical symptoms including pain, non-specific physical symptoms excluding pain). CONCLUSION: LA improved the physical and emotional symptoms of TMD, with results similar to OS. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: For the physical and emotional symptoms associated with TMD, LA showed similar outcomes as OS.

Efeitos da auriculoterapia com laser de baixa potência sobre aspectos físicos e emocionais em pacientes com disfunção temporomandibular: um ensaio clínico randomizado cego / Effects of Low-Power Laser Auriculotherapy on the Physical and Emotional Aspects in patients with temporomandibular dysfunction: a blinded randomized clinical trial

A disfunção temporomandibular (DTM) é uma condição clínica caracterizada pela presença de dor na articulação temporomandibular (ATM), nos músculos mastigatórios e região orofacial. Sua etiologia é multifatorial estando associada principalmente ao padrão oclusal, estresse emocional, hábitos parafuncionais, dentre outros, sendo mais comum em mulheres entre a terceira e a quarta década de vida. Há várias modalidades terapêuticas para o alívio da dor em DTM: farmacoterapia, a placa miorrelaxante de Michigan (PM), fisioterapia, psicanálise, acupuntura, auriculoterapia e auriculoterapia com laser (AL), as quais se mostram potencialmente benéficas sobre os aspectos dolorosos e emocionais em DTM. Os objetivos deste estudo foram avaliar a eficácia do uso da AL para o alívio da dor e aspectos emocionais em DTM e os efeitos clínicos da associação do uso terapêutico da PM com a AL. Para estabelecer parâmetros de comparação foi usado um grupo controle com PM. Este estudo constou da participação de 31 voluntários selecionados a partir de critérios de inclusão e exclusão, e divididos em 3 grupos: G1 n =11 ­ Placa miorrelaxante, G2 n= 8 ­ Placa miorrelaxante associada a Auriculoterapia Laser, G3 n =10­ Auriculoterapia Laser. Os pacientes foram avaliados nos tempos TO (Imediato), T1 (4 semanas) e T2 (8 semanas), de acordo com os critérios e escalas do RDC-TMD. Os resultados revelaram que a auriculoterapia laser possui efeitos significativos sobre os aspectos físicos e emocionais da DTM e que a associação da placa com a auriculoterapia laser apresentou os melhores resultados sobre os aspectos físicos da DTM.(AU)

Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) is a clinical condition characterized by the presence of pain in the temporomandibular articulation (TMA), in the masticatory muscles and orofacial region. Its etiology is multifactorial, it is associated mainly to the occlusal pattern, emotional stress, parafunctional habits among others, and it is more common in women between the third and the fourth decade of life. There are several therapeutic modalities for TMD pain relief: pharmacotherapy, the Michigan myorelaxing plaque (MP), physiotherapy, psychoanalysis, acupuncture, auriculotherapy and laser auriculotherapy (LA), which are potentially beneficial about the painful and emotional aspects in TMD. The goals of this study were evaluate the effectiveness of using LA for pain relief and emotional aspects in TMD and the clinical effects of the association of the therapeutic use of MP with LA. To establish comparison parameters it was used a control group with MP. This study consisted on the participation of 31 volunteers selected from inclusion and exclusion criteria, and divided in three groups: G1 n= 11 - Myorelaxing Plaque, G2 n= 8 - Myorelaxing Plaque and Laser Auriculotherapy, G3 n= 10 - Laser Auriculotherapy. The patients were evaluated in the times T0 (Immediate), T1 (4 weeks) and T2 (8 weeks), according to the criteria and scales of RDCTMD. The results revealed that the laser auriculotherapy has significant effects on the physical and emotional aspects of TMD and that the association of the plaque with the laser auriculotherapy presented the best results on the physical aspects of TMD.(AU)