RESUMO
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.