Both transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and laser acupuncture have shown comparable success in reducing orofacial pain and other symptoms in myofascial pain dysfunction syndrome patients.
Within this study, 22 patients suffering with myofascial pain dysfunction syndrome were divided at random into two treatment groups: one underwent transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and the second group was treated with 940-nm diode laser acupuncture. Both treatment sessions lasted for 20 minutes with data collected at distinct intervals; initially at baseline, then before and after each treatment session, and finally one month subsequent to the termination of the treatment cycles. The variables assessed included overall facial pain experienced by the patients, tenderness in the masticatory muscles, deviation, joint sounds, and the maximum mouth opening achievable without pain.
After treatment, both groups exhibited a considerable decline in overall facial pain and muscle tenderness as well as an increased ability to open the mouth wider without experiencing pain. The comparative analysis between the effectiveness of the transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and laser acupuncture methodologies did not reveal any significant differences in terms of overall facial pain, muscle tenderness, or maximal mouth opening a month after the final therapy sessions. Hence, both strategies have been identified as effective physical therapies for patients suffering from myofascial pain dysfunction syndrome.
