Effects of low-level laser therapy on burning pain and quality of life in patients with burning mouth syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Chenghui Lu; Chenglong Yang; Xin Li; Guanhuan Du; Xuan Zhou; Wenhai Luo; Qing Du; Guoyao Tang

doi:10.1186/s12903-023-03441-w

Effects of low-level laser therapy on burning pain and quality of life in patients with burning mouth syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BMC Oral Health. 2023 Oct 9;23(1):734. doi: 10.1186/s12903-023-03441-w.

Authors

Chenghui Lu^#¹, Chenglong Yang^#², Xin Li^#³, Guanhuan Du⁴, Xuan Zhou³, Wenhai Luo¹, Qing Du⁵, Guoyao Tang⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Oral Mucosal Diseases, The Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, 541004, China.
² Department of Stomatology, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 1665 Kongjiang Road, Shanghai, 200092, China.
³ Department of Rehabilitation, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 1665 Kongjiang Road, Shanghai, 200092, China.
⁴ Department of Oral Mucosal Diseases, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine; College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; National Center for Stomatology; National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai, 200011, China.
⁵ Department of Rehabilitation, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 1665 Kongjiang Road, Shanghai, 200092, China. duqing@xinhuamed.com.cn.
⁶ Department of Stomatology, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 1665 Kongjiang Road, Shanghai, 200092, China. tanggy@shsmu.edu.cn.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Background: Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a complex chronic pain disorder that significantly impairs patients' quality of life. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) uses infrared or near-infrared light to produce analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and biological stimulation effects. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the effect of LLLT on burning pain, quality of life, and negative emotions in patients with BMS.

Methods: The PubMed, Embase, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were searched up January 2023 to identify relevant articles. All randomized controlled trials that were published in English and examined the use of LLLT treatment for BMS were included. The methodological quality of the included trials was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). A meta-analysis was performed to evaluate burning pain, quality of life, and negative emotions. Sensitivity, subgroup, and funnel plot analyses were also carried out.

Results: Fourteen RCTs involving a total of 550 patients with BMS met the inclusion criteria. The results showed that LLLT (measured by the Visual Analog Scale; SMD: -0.87, 95% CI: -1.29 to -0.45, P < 0.001) was more effective for reducing burning pain than placebo LLLT or clonazepam. LLLT improved quality of life (evaluated by the Oral Health Impact Profile-14; SMD: 0.01, 95% CI: -0.58 to 0.60, P = 0.97) and negative emotions (evaluated by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; SMD: -0.12, 95% CI: -0.54 to 0.30, P = 0.59), but these effects were not statistically significant.

Conclusions: The meta-analysis revealed that LLLT may be an effective therapy for improving burning pain in patients with BMS, and producing a positive influence on quality of life and negative emotions. A long-term course of intervention, a larger sample size, and a multidisciplinary intervention design are urgently needed in future research.

Trial registration: PROSPERO registration number: CRD42022308770.

Keywords: Burning mouth syndrome; Burning pain; Low-level laser therapy; Meta-analysis; Negative emotions; Quality of life.

Publication types

Meta-Analysis
Systematic Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Burning Mouth Syndrome* / radiotherapy
Chronic Pain*
Humans
Low-Level Light Therapy* / methods
Quality of Life