TENS and low-level laser therapy in the management of temporomandibular disorders.
J Appl Oral Sci
; 14(2): 130-5, 2006 Apr.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-19089044
ABSTRACT
Pain relief and reestablishment of normal jaw function are the main goals of conservative management of Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD). Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and laser therapy are part of these modalities, although little is known about their real efficacy in controlled studies. This research compared these two treatments in a sample of 18 patients with chronic TMD of muscular origin, divided into two groups (LASER and TENS). Treatment consisted of ten sessions, in a period of 30 days. Active range of motion (AROM), visual analogue scale (VAS) of pain and muscle (masseter and anterior temporalis) palpation were used for follow-up analysis. Data were analyzed by Friedman test and ANOVA for repeated measurements. Results showed decrease in pain and increase in AROM for both groups (p<0.05), and improvement in muscle tenderness for the LASER group. Authors concluded that both therapies are effective as part of TMD management and a cumulative effect may be responsible for the improvement. Caution is suggested when analyzing these results because of the self-limiting feature of musculoskeletal conditions like TMD.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Language:
En
Journal:
J Appl Oral Sci
Journal subject:
ODONTOLOGIA
Year:
2006
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Brazil