Efeito a curto prazo da laser acupuntura na dor, ansiedade e depressão de pacientes com disfunção temporomandibular: ensaio clínico randomizado

Abstract

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: Over time there was a reduction in pain symptoms in the PL (p = 0.001), PF (p = 0.014) and LA groups were at the significance threshold (p = 0.08). After 30 days of therapy there was a significant reduction between the PF versus AC (p = 0.004) and FP versus LA (p = 0.006) groups. The FP group was the only group that reduced anxiety symptoms by BAI (p = 0.09) and by 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: For patients with anxiety and depression, laser acupuncture is not the most appropriate therapy to reduce pain symptoms in the short term.