Temporomandibular disorder / jaw pain
Low-level laser therapy for temporomandibular disorders systematic review and meta-analysis
Xu GZ, Jia J, Jin L, et al. Pain Research and Management. 2018.
A review of TMD RCTs found pain and functional outcomes favored LLLT over placebo.
Evidence grade
moderate
Effect direction
positive
Panel relevance
partially-replicable
Key findings
- The review included 31 randomized controlled trials.
- Pooled data favored LLLT for pain relief and temporomandibular joint function outcomes.
- Dosage analyses were discrepant, so high-versus-low dose conclusions were not settled.
Protocol details
| Wavelengths | Not reported nm |
|---|---|
| Irradiance | Not reported mW/cm2 |
| Fluence | Not reported J/cm2 |
| Session time | Not reported minutes |
| Frequency | Varied by trial |
| Duration | Varied by trial |
| Treatment area | Temporomandibular joint and related pain points |
| Device type | Low-level laser therapy |
Caveats
- TMD protocols often use targeted clinical laser application.
- Jaw pain causes vary; content should avoid diagnosis or replacing dental care.