SHORT-TERM EFFECT OF LASER ACUPUNCTURE ON PAIN, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION OF PATIENTS WITH TEMPOROMANDIBULAR DISORDER: RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TEST
Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome; acupuncture therapy; low intensity light therapy; acupuncture laser; occlusal plaque; counseling; physiotherapy; clinical trial; anxiety; depression
Objective: To evaluate the short-term effect of laser acupuncture compared with counseling, occlusal plaque, and physiotherapy treatments on pain, anxiety, and depression in TMD patients. Methods: A randomized clinical trial was performed with patients with TMD, diagnosed by the TMD (RDC / TMD). 60 patients were randomly allocated to four distinct groups: counseling (AC), Occlusal Plaque (PO), physical therapy (PF) and laser acupuncture (LA) and were evaluated at baseline, and at 1 month after therapy. To evaluate anxiety, HADS, BAI, and STAI were used. For depression was BDI and HADS. For pain, VAS was used. The Kruskal-Wallis test with a 95% confidence level was used for intergroup analysis. The Mann-Whitney post-test, to verify where was the difference found between the groups. And the Wilcoxon signed rank test for analysis between the times analyzed. Results: There was a significant reduction in pain symptomatology between the PF versus AC (p = 0.004) and PF versus LA (p = 0.006) groups. Regarding anxiety symptoms, there was a statistically significant reduction over time only in the FP group, by the BAI (p = 0.09) and by the STAI-E (p = 0.042). In depressive parameters there was a statistically significant difference over time by BDI in the PO (p = 0.044) and LA (p = 0.009) groups. Between groups there was a statistically significant difference by BDI, between PO versus LA (p = 0.004), and PF versus LA (p = 0.005). And by HADS, between FP versus LA (p = 0.012). Conclusion: Within the limitations of the study, it can be concluded that laser acupuncture was not effective in reducing the painful symptoms, anxiety symptoms and depressive parameters of patients diagnosed with TMD.