The effectiveness of acupuncture versus clonazepam in patients with burning mouth syndrome.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a chronic oral condition, characterised by burning symptoms, which mainly affects perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. Neuropathy might be the underlying cause of the condition. There are still insufficient data regarding successful therapy. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of acupuncture and clonazepam.

METHODS:

Forty-two patients with BMS (38 women, 4 men) aged 66.7±12.0 years were randomly divided into two groups. Acupuncture was performed on 20 participants over 4 weeks, 3 times per week, on points ST8, GB2, TE21, SI19, SI18 and LI4 bilaterally as well as GV20 in the midline, each session lasting half an hour. Twenty-two patients took clonazepam once a day (0.5 mg in the morning) for 2 weeks and, after 2 weeks, two tablets (0.5 mg in the morning and in the evening) were taken for the next 2 weeks. Prior to and 1 month after either therapy, participants completed questionnaires: visual analogue scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs (LANSS) pain scale, 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA).

RESULTS:

There were significant improvements in the scores of all outcome measures after treatment with both acupuncture and clonazepam, except for MoCA. There were no significant differences between the two therapeutic regimens regarding the scores of the performed tests.

CONCLUSIONS:

Acupuncture and clonazepam are similarly effective for patients with BMS.

• Authors: A Jurisic Kvesic, I Zavoreo, V Basic Kes, V Vucicevic Boras, D Ciliga, D Gabric, D V Vrdoljak
• Journal: Acupuncture in medicine : journal of the British Medical Acupuncture Society (Acupunct Med) Vol. 33 Issue 4 Pg. 289-92 (Aug 2015) ISSN: 1759-9873 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 25987645 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial)
• Copyright: Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Chemical References

• Clonazepam

Topics

• Acupuncture Therapy
• Aged
• Burning Mouth Syndrome (drug therapy, therapy)
• Clonazepam (administration & dosage)
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Pain Measurement
• Therapeutics