Acupuncture in Temporomandibular Disorder Myofascial Pain Treatment: A Systematic Review.

Aims: To carry out a systematic review of clinical trials published up to 2015 to determine the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating myofascial pain in temporomandibular disorder (TMD) patients.

Methods: The databases used were the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science; the dates of the articles surveyed ranged from 1990 to May 2015. The inclusion criteria were: (1) publications in English, Portuguese, or Spanish; (2) controlled clinical trials; (3) patients with TMD of muscular origin; and (4) studies that used acupuncture or laser acupuncture only for treatment.