The authors of a Brazilian study have concluded that for temporomandibular disorders (TMD) involving joint components, local acupuncture is the most effective, while for TMD of muscular origin, distal needling are most effective. The researchers classified 68 patients depending on their presenting symptoms and divided them into groups: muscle TMD treated with acupuncture at local points (MUS-LP), muscle TMD treated with acupuncture at distal points (MUS-DP), joint and muscle TMD treated with LP (JOI-LP), and joint and muscle TMD treated with DP (JOI-DP). Local acupuncture points chosen according to TCM criteria for head and neck pain were Fengchi GB-20, Baihui DU-20, Ermen SJ-21, Jiache ST-6 and Xiaguan ST-7. The distal point protocol used Hegu L.I.-4 plus Yintang M-HN-3 (to calm the emotions). Ten 20-minute treatment sessions were performed on each patient, twice per week for five weeks. The best results were seen in the JOI-LP and the MUS-DP groups, whose TMD symptom scores were significantly lower than baseline when measured both after six acupuncture sessions and four weeks after the end of the final treatment.
Perception of the signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorder in females by using the ProTMDMulti protocol and the visual analog scale before and after acupuncture treatment.
Cranio. 2015 Dec 29:1-7.
Quelle: www.jcm.co.uk