Randomized clinical trial of acupuncture for myofascial pain of the jaw muscles.
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.
Shen
Yoshi F
YF
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
Younger
Jarred
J
Goddard
Greg
G
Mackey
Sean
S
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
D010919:Placebos