Comparison of the Effectiveness of Three Different Acupuncture Methods for TMD-Related Pain: A Randomized Clinical Study

Comparison of the effects of acupuncture methods on the temporomandibular disorder: A network meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

A network meta-analysis (NMA) was applied to compare the therapeutic effect of different acupuncture methods on temporomandibular disorder (TMD).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A computer retrieval was carried out in the English databases of Cochrane, PubMed, Embase and Web of Science, as well as the Chinese databases of CNKI, Wanfang and VIP for randomized controlled trials on the effect of acupuncture on TMD, with a retrieval deadline of January 21, 2024. Data analysis was conducted using R software and Bayesian method. The pain score served as the primary outcome measure, with the mouth opening as the secondary outcome measure.

RESULTS

Thirty-five articles were included in the analysis, involving 1937 TMD patients. The NMA results suggested that DN-PT had the best effect on relieving pain and improving mouth opening. (Description of all abbreviations in Supplementary Material S3).

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the available evidence, the results of the NMA suggest that DN-PT is most effective in relieving TMD pain and increasing mouth opening. However, due to the fact that some acupuncture therapies are only reported in a small number of research reports, this may lead to an increase in the randomness of the results and a decrease in the reliability.

Effectiveness of Laser Acupuncture for Reducing Pain and Increasing Mouth Opening Range in Individuals with Temporomandibular Disorder: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Laser acupuncture (LA) demonstrates promising results in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders. However, its effects on temporomandibular disorder (TMD) are not yet fully understood. Thus, the aim of this systematic review and network meta-analysis was to assess the effectiveness of LA on pain intensity and maximum mouth opening range (MMO) related to TMD. A search was carried out in 11 electronic databases and references of included studies to locate randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that evaluated LA as a primary treatment for TMD. The risk of bias was assessed using the RoB 2 tool. Network meta-analysis was conducted on the MetaInsight platform, considering the pain intensity and counseling (C) as the outcome of reference. The GRADE system was used to assess the certainty of the evidence.

RECENT FINDINGS

Five studies evaluated pain intensity, four with a high risk of bias and one with a low risk. Two studies evaluated pain intensity on palpation (one with high and one with low risk of bias), and one study with high risk of bias evaluated MMO. Laser parameters were: 690-810 nm, 40-150 mW, and 7.5-112.5 J/cm2. Occlusal splint (OS) [- 2.47; CI 95% - 3.64, - 1.30] and Physiotherapy (PT) [-2.64; CI 95% - 3.94, - 1.34] reduced pain intensity compared to C. The ranking of treatments in order of effectiveness was PT > OS > LA > C > CR (craniopuncture). The certainty of the evidence was very low or low. The data do not support the indication of LA for the treatment of TMDs and new placebo-controlled RCTs must be conducted to demonstrate its effectiveness more precisely.

The effectiveness of different types of acupuncture to reduce symptoms and disability for patients with orofacial pain. A systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

To determine the effectiveness of different types of acupuncture in reducing pain, improving maximum mouth opening and jaw functions in adults with orofacial pain.

METHODS

Six databases were searched until 15 June 2023. The Cochrane risk of bias tool and GRADE were employed to evaluate bias and overall evidence certainty.

RESULTS

Among 52 studies, 86.5% (n = 45) exhibited high risk of bias. Common acupoints, including Hegu LI 4, Jiache ST 6, and Xiaguan ST 7, were used primarily for patients with temporomandibular disorder [TMDs]. Meta-analyses indicated that acupuncture significantly reduced pain intensity in individuals with myogenous TMD (MD = 26.02 mm, I2=89%, p = 0.05), reduced tenderness in the medial pterygoid muscle (standardised mean differences [SMD] = 1.72, I2 = 0%, p < 0.00001) and jaw dysfunction (SMD = 1.62, I2 = 88%, p = 0.010) in mixed TMD when compared to sham/no treatment. However, the overall certainty of the evidence was very low for all outcomes as evaluated by GRADE.

CONCLUSION

The overall results in this review should be interpreted with caution as there was a high risk of bias across the majority of randomized controlled trial (RCTs), and the overall certainty of the evidence was very low. Therefore, future studies with high-quality RCTs are warranted evaluating the use of acupuncture in patients with orofacial pain.

Myofascial Temporomandibular Disorders at a Turning Point: Pragmatic or Evidence-Based Management?

Unvalidated theories have been proposed for the etiopathogenesis of masticatory myofascial temporomandibular disorders (mTMD). Modalities such as cone-beam computed tomography/computed tomography and MRI contributes little to the diagnosis of mTMD. Diagnosing mTMD is based on the recognition of "familiar pain" presentation in the masticatory myofascial tissue. This assessment tool contributes little our understanding of the underlying disease process. Thus, management of mTMD is empirical and arbitrary. Exploring emerging technologies to identify biomarkers and objectively assess myofascial tissue physiology in disease and health may be key in moving the diagnosis of mTMD from the pragmatic paradigm to an evidence-based paradigm.

Acupuncture and Spinal Stenosis: Considerations for Treatment

Acupuncture has been a staple of Eastern medicine for thousands of years. Recent evidence has shown that benefits for spinal stenosis are strong. In this comprehensive review, we overview the history and available literature. We discuss how the techniques have evolved and the clinical utility. The process and progression of spinal stenosis is addressed. We discuss mechanism of action for acupuncture as well as relevant treatment implications. This is important in alleviating pain and providing strong quality of life. We highlight both the findings in the pre-operative, peri-operative, and post-operative periods. Finally, the pre-clinical data provides compelling evidence in terms of novel pathways being targeted. This resource will serve as a user-friendly guide for the clinician and scientist regarding this important topic. It will be the catalyst of ongoing investigation from both the clinical and pre-clinical side.

COVID-19 vaccination and psychological status of Iranian dental students

Objective

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the association of COVID-19 vaccination with the quality and quantity of sleep, the level of stress, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders (TMDs) in Iranian dental students.

Materials and methods

In this cross-sectional research, we applied a questionnaire including 30 questions on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), sleep quality and quantity, Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD), and vaccination status. All vaccinated students of the dental schools located in the city of Tehran were invited to participate in the study. Participants were divided into three groups: those vaccinated for less than a month, those vaccinated for 1-3 months, and those vaccinated for more than 3 months. A paired t-test served for statistical analysis.

Results

Overall, 171 out of 235 students (72.77%) completed the questionnaire, among which 90 individuals were fully vaccinated, and were included in the data analysis. Stress levels decreased (mean difference = -1.23, p-value = 0.002) and sleep quality and quantity improved mostly 1-3 months after the vaccination (mean difference = -0.5, p-value = 0.016). However, TMD symptoms were mostly alleviated in people vaccinated for more than 3 months (mean difference = -2.86, p-value <0.05). In this respect, no significant difference was observed between the two genders.

Conclusion

According to the results of the study, vaccination was associated with the improvement of psychological consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is recommended that further longitudinal studies be conducted on larger sample sizes and different age groups by using various data collection methods (especially regarding the assessment of TMD).