title: Randomized clinical trial of acupuncture for myofascial pain of the jaw muscles.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating symptoms associated with myofascial pain of the jaw muscles.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight subjects over the age of 18 and diagnosed with chronic myofascial pain of the jaw muscles were randomized to receive real (n = 16) or sham (n = 12) acupuncture. Prior to treatment, each subject clenched his or her teeth for 2 minutes. Acupuncture or sham acupuncture was then administered at the Hegu large intestine 4 (LI4) acupoint for 15 minutes. Real acupuncture was given by penetrating the needle through a sticky foam pad at the acupoint. Sham acupuncture was conducted by pricking the skin, without penetration, with a shortened, blunted acupuncture needle through a foam pad placed away from the acupoint. General head and neck pain ratings were obtained before and after treatment on a numerical rating scale. A mechanical pain stimulus on the masseter muscle was given before and after treatment and rated on a visual analog scale to measure pain tolerance level. Paired t tests were performed to detect significant changes in pain levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Subjects receiving real acupuncture experienced a significant reduction in jaw pain (P = .04), jaw/face tightness (P = .04), and neck pain (P = .04), and a significant increase in pain tolerance of the masseter muscle (P = .001). Subjects were not able to determine whether they received real or sham acupuncture (P = .69). No significant pain reductions were observed in the sham acupuncture group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A single acupuncture session using one acupoint at Hegu large intestine 4 significantly reduced most myofascial pain endpoints when compared to sham acupuncture.
authors.affiliation: Department of oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Center for Orofacial Pain, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0768, USA. yoshi.shen.ucsf@gmail.com
authors.forename: Yoshi F
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Jarred
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Younger
authors.forename: Greg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Goddard
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mackey
mesh_terms: D015667:Acupuncture Analgesia / Q000379:methods*; D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000328:Adult; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008406:Masseter Muscle / Q000503:physiopathology; D008410:Masticatory Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010919:Placebos; D013706:Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos