Comparison between four treatment modalities for active myofascial triggers points

Abstract

Aim: The study aimed at the painful trigger points (TrPs) for the purpose of ablating muscle spasms and restoring normal muscle length to find the most effective treatment for alleviating pain and improving mouth range of motion in patients with myofascial pain dysfunction.

Methods: We enrolled 72 patients with pain and reduced mouth opening due to temporomandibular joint dysfunction. Patients assigned to four groups and four treatment modalities used to treat myofascial TrPs pain. We used mean and standard deviation values. The Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare the two groups. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to study the changes by the time in mean pain scores. The Student’s t-test was used to compare maximum mouth opening (MMO) groups. Then paired t-test was also used to study the changes of time in an MMO.

Results: The results showed that pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy is the most effective treatment modality regarding for pain relief. Both the anesthesia and PEMF groups showed a reduction in mean pain scores throughout all follow-up periods, and a statistically significant increase in mean MMO.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that PEMF is the most effective treatment for alleviating pain and improving mouth range of motion in patients with myofascial pain.

Keywords

Low-level laser therapy / myofascial pain / pulsed electromagnetic field / temporomandibular joint dysfunction / trigger points

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