Efficacy of different low-level laser therapy sessions in the management of masseter muscle trigger points

• Published in: BMC oral health 2024-09, Vol.24 (1), p.1125-8, Article 1125
• Main Authors: Mahmoud, Nermine Ramadan, Shehab, Wessam Ibrahim, AlAraby, Amany Ahmed, Habaka, Yasser Fekry
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Care and treatment; Complications and side effects; Dentistry; Facial Pain - radiotherapy; Facial Pain - therapy; Female; Females; Humans; Hypotheses; Laser therapy; Lasers; LLLT; Low-Level Light Therapy - methods; Male; Masseter; Masseter Muscle; Middle Aged; Myofascial pain syndrome; Oral hygiene; Pain; Pain Measurement; Patient outcomes; Patients; Quality of Life; Statistical analysis; Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome - radiotherapy; Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome - therapy; Treatment Outcome; Trigger point; Trigger Points
• ISSN: 1472-6831; 1472-6831
• DOI: 10.1186/s12903-024-04780-y

Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is one of the recent treatment modalities for myofascial pain dysfunction syndrome with trigger points. The objective of the present study was to examine the impact of varying LLLT sessions on the treatment of masseter muscle trigger points. 90 patients diagnosed with orofacial pain and trigger points in the masseter muscle for at least 6 months were selected and divided into 3 groups (n = 30) based on the number of LLLT sessions provided to patients. Patients in Group I received one session/per week, group II received two sessions/per week, and Group III received three sessions/per week. The sessions continued for 4 weeks, evaluations of pain levels, maximum mouth opening (MMO), and quality of life were conducted before and after the procedure at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8 weeks. The pain scores exhibited a highly statistically significant difference among the three groups (p