Low-level laser therapy for treatment of temporomandibular joint pain: a double-blind and placebo-controlled trial

Rüdiger Emshoff; Renato Bösch; Eduard Pümpel; Harald Schöning; Heinrich Strobl

doi:10.1016/j.tripleo.2007.09.012

Low-level laser therapy for treatment of temporomandibular joint pain: a double-blind and placebo-controlled trial

Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod. 2008 Apr;105(4):452-6. doi: 10.1016/j.tripleo.2007.09.012.

Authors

Rüdiger Emshoff¹, Renato Bösch, Eduard Pümpel, Harald Schöning, Heinrich Strobl

Affiliation

¹ Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria. Ruediger_Emshoff@hotmail.com

PMID: 18329580
DOI: 10.1016/j.tripleo.2007.09.012

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in the management of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain in a random and double-blind research design.

Study design: TMJ pain patients, randomly assigned, received 2 to 3 treatments per week for 8 weeks of active LLLT (Helium Neon, 632.8 nm, 30 mW) (n = 26) or sham LLLT (n = 26). Measures of TMJ pain during function were evaluated at baseline and weeks 2, 4, and 8 after the first laser therapy.

Results: At the 8-week point, within-group improvements were present for TMJ pain during function, for both the active and sham LLLT groups (P = .000). Between-group differences were not highly evident (P > .05).

Conclusion: The study suggests that LLLT is not better than placebo at reducing TMJ pain during function.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Epidemiologic Methods
Facial Pain / radiotherapy*
Female
Humans
Low-Level Light Therapy / instrumentation
Low-Level Light Therapy / methods*
Male
Middle Aged
Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / radiotherapy*