Low-level laser therapy for treatment of temporomandibular joint pain:: a double-blind and placebo-controlled trial

Objective. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of low-level laser therapy ( LLLT) in the management of temporomandibular joint ( TMJ) pain in a random and double-blind research design. Study design. TMJ pain patients, randomly assigned, received 2 to 3 treatments per week for 8 weeks of active LLLT ( Helium Neon, 632.8 nm, 30 mW) ( n = 26) or sham LLLT ( n = 26). Measures of TMJ pain during function were evaluated at baseline and weeks 2, 4, and 8 after the first laser therapy. Results. At the 8-week point, within-group improvements were present for TMJ pain during function, for both the active and sham LLLT groups ( P =.000). Between-group differences were not highly evident ( P =.05). Conclusion. The study suggests that LLLT is not better than placebo at reducing TMJ pain during function.