Temporomandibular disorder / jaw pain

LLLT wavelengths for temporomandibular disorder pain network meta-analysis

Ren H, Liu J, Liu Y, et al. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation. 2022.

Source

A network meta-analysis compared LLLT wavelength ranges and TENS for TMD pain.

Evidence grade

moderate

Effect direction

positive

Panel relevance

partially-replicable

Key findings

  • The review included 27 RCTs with 969 patients.
  • All active treatment groups improved pain scores compared with placebo.
  • The 910-1100 nm wavelength range ranked best for pain relief immediately after treatment and at one-month follow-up.

Protocol details

Wavelengths633, 672, 780, 904, 910, 1100 nm
IrradianceNot reported mW/cm2
FluenceNot reported J/cm2
Session timeNot reported minutes
FrequencyVaried by trial
DurationVaried by trial
Treatment areaTemporomandibular disorder pain sites
Device typeLow-level laser therapy and TENS comparators

Caveats

  • Network rankings depend on indirect comparisons across heterogeneous trials.
  • Most consumer panels do not target 910-1100 nm light.