This TMJ acupuncture research from 2017 found acupuncture beneficial to reduce jaw and face pain.
Purpose of TMJ Acupuncture Research
The purpose of this study was to evaluate conventional acupuncture therapy in the management of clinical outcomes for temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in adults.
Methods
The electronic databases PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Clinical Trails.gov were searched for reports published until March 31, 2016. Nine eligible studies from 8 publications involving 231 patients were included in the meta-analysis.
Conclusions
Study results indicated that acupuncture was effective in reducing pain in patients with TMD, especially those with myofascial pain symptoms.
Introduction
The study authors of this TMJ acupuncture research explained that temporomandibular disorder (TMD) represents a group of painful conditions involving the chewing muscles of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Ten percent of the population is affected, and women in their early thirties are most likely to be affected by TMD. The main symptoms of TMD include TMJ clicking, acute or chronic jaw pain, tenderness of the jaw and face muscles, and abnormal jaw movements.
There is no consensus regarding the best treatment for TMD. Various treatments have been used, including pain medications, psychological therapy, physical therapy, cognitive therapy, acupuncture therapy, and surgery. Acupuncture is a commonly used strategy for pain relief in these cases, in which acupuncture needles are inserted at the appropriate acupuncture points. This study was performed to clarify the effects of acupuncture in the treatment of TMD by reviewing all of the relevant clinical studies.
Discussion
The TMJ acupuncture research staff performed extensive and rigorous literature searches to identify potentially suitable articles in electronic databases. They also conducted meta-analyses to determine the overall treatment effect sizes. These ensured that their review would serve as a comprehensive summary of the available evidence. The meta-analysis evaluated 9 clinical trials that included TMD patients aged older than 18 years. These results show that acupuncture was more effective than sham acupuncture treatment, indicating that acupuncture is an effective tool for the management of pain in patients with TMD.
Several theses have been proposed to explain the mechanism of action of acupuncture. According to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the human body contains a form of energy (qi) that flows throughout the body along clearly defined channels (meridians). When this sophisticated interconnected inner system is unbalanced, pain and disease will result. However, by inserting appropriate needles into specific points, the channels can be unblocked, and qi can once again flow fluently. The rebalancing of the energy flow will both relieve the pain and eliminate the disease/disorder.
From the perspective of analgesic mechanism, some TMJ acupuncture researcher professionals have found that acupuncture can reduce the release of endogenous opiates from the pituitary gland into the plasma, resulting in analgesia in the central nervous system. In addition, serotonin is believed to play an important role in acupuncture analgesia. Researchers discovered that peripheral opioid receptors are involved in acupuncture analgesia during inflammatory conditions.
Conclusion
This study compared the clinical effectiveness of acupuncture therapy in TMD patients through the meta-analysis of published results. The results indicate that acupuncture has greater effectiveness and reduces the pain degree to a greater extent, especially myofascial pain symptoms, compared with both sham nonpenetrating acupuncture and sham laser therapy.
TMJ Acupuncture Research
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Jaw Pain Research
This TMJ acupuncture research study is one of a growing body of evidence pointing to acupuncture’s tremendous benefit for all jaw-related pain conditions. Come in and experience this for yourself.
References
Wu, J. Y., Zhang, C., Xu, Y. P., Yu, Y. Y., Peng, L., Leng, W. D., … Deng, M. H. (2017). Acupuncture therapy in the management of the clinical outcomes for temporomandibular disorders: A PRISMA-compliant meta-analysis. Medicine, 96(9), e6064. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000006064
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My jaw was broken 20 years ago and never healed right. I had constant pain all the time. Finally tried acupuncture for a lark. Ended up getting rid of 90% of the pain. Couldn’t believe it. I highly recommend Raleigh Acupuncture Associates.
My sister recommended Raleigh Acupuncture for my TMJ, after no luck with other types of treatment. I was surprised and pleased to see that acupuncture helped. My jaw pain is gone after 6 treatments. No pain at all. I recommend this practice to anyone with TMJ.