Clinical Research Directory

Evaluation Of The Effect Of Low-Level Laser Therapy On Masseter Muscle Versus Therapeutic Ultrasound On Patients With Myofascial Pain Disorder : A Randomized Clinical Trial

Sponsor: Cairo University

Summary

Myofascial pain dysfunction (MPD) is one of the most common causes of chronic orofacial pain, primarily affecting the masticatory muscles such as the masseter and temporalis. It leads to facial pain, muscle tenderness, and restricted mouth opening, significantly impacting patients' quality of life and daily function. Despite the wide range of conservative treatment modalities-such as medications, splint therapy, and physiotherapy-there is still no universally accepted approach that provides consistent and long-lasting relief. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and therapeutic ultrasound (US) are two non-invasive physical modalities frequently used in dentistry for pain control and tissue healing. Each has shown promising outcomes individually. Azizi et al. (2007) demonstrated that LLLT at 780 nm can significantly reduce pain and tenderness for up to three months, while Khairy (2018) reported notable pain relief and improved jaw function using pulsed ultrasound at 1.5 W/cm² for 5 minutes over 10 sessions. However, direct comparative evidence between LLLT and therapeutic ultrasound in patients with myofascial pain dysfunction is still lacking. This knowledge gap prevents clinicians from identifying which modality offers superior short- and long-term outcomes in terms of pain reduction, muscle function improvement, and patient satisfaction. Therefore, this study aims to compare the efficacy of low-level laser therapy versus therapeutic ultrasound in the management of myofascial pain dysfunction, using standardized treatment parameters from the most evidence-based protocols in the literature.

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