Does low intensity laser therapy reduce pain and change orofacial myofunctional conditions?

Abstract

Due to its multifactorial pain aspects, combined therapies are required for the the comprehensive management of temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD). Interdisciplinary forms of therapies, such as laser therapy, and health care or medical professionals, such as speech therapists, have been proposed for this comprehensive management. The aims of this study were the following: 1. verify whether low-intensity laser therapy would promote significant pain remission; 2. evaluate whether this changes orofacial myofunctional conditions in the sample, as tested, using the Orofacial Myofunctional Evaluation with Scores (OMES); and 3. evaluate whether or not the pain improvement would remain stable after a 30-day follow-up for pain conditions. The study included 12 female volunteers diagnosed with myofascial pain and ages ranging from 18 to 60 years old, with or without intra-articular TMD, according to axis I of the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD). Participants were assessed for pain on palpation, using a visual analogue scale (VAS), before treatment (A1), immediately after 30 days of intervention, i.e, after eight sessions of Low Intensity Laser Therapy (LILT) (A2), and 30 days after the end of the treatment with LILT (A3) (follow-up). Comparing the three evaluation times, it was observed that there was a significant decrease in the values of subjective pain to palpation (p < 0.05). The initial pain (A1) differed significantly from the A2, but did not differ significantly from A3.

• Authors: Melissa de Oliveira Melchior, Giovana Cherubini Venezian, Barbara Cristina Zanandréa Machado, Renata Filgueira Borges, Marcelo Oliveira Mazzetto
• Journal: Cranio : the journal of craniomandibular practice (Cranio) Vol. 31 Issue 2 Pg. 133-9 (Apr 2013) ISSN: 0886-9634 [Print] England
• PMID: 23795403 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article)

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Deglutition (radiation effects)
• Facial Pain (radiotherapy)
• Female
• Follow-Up Studies
• Humans
• Lasers, Semiconductor (therapeutic use)
• Low-Level Light Therapy (methods)
• Masseter Muscle (radiation effects)
• Mastication (radiation effects)
• Middle Aged
• Pain Measurement (methods)
• Palpation (methods)
• Range of Motion, Articular (physiology)
• Respiration (radiation effects)
• Temporal Muscle (radiation effects)
• Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (radiotherapy)
• Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome (radiotherapy)
• Young Adult