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.
Symptoms: Patients who report typical symptoms of myofascial pain , such as pain, discomfort, especially when opening or closing the mouth.
Mouth Opening: Limited range of motion or difficulty with full mouth opening.
Pain: Pain or tenderness around the TMJ, often radiating to the ear, temple, or neck.
Patients who will be free from any systemic diseases that affect temporomandibular joint.
Blood dyscrasias and systemtic diseases.
Previous surgery of the affected joint.
Infection
Patients with previous facial fracture.
Parallel
Evaluation Of The Effect Of Low-Level Laser Therapy On Masseter Muscle Versus therapeutic Ultrasound On Patients With Myofascial Pain Disorder
DeviceGiven that both modalities promote pain relief and muscle recovery through distinct biological pathways-LLLT via photobiomodulation and US via mechanical and thermal stimulation-a direct comparison between them can determine which produces superior clinical outcomes in terms of pain reduction, functional improvement, and duration of therapeutic effect.
pain
pain severity will be assessed using Visual analogue scale 0-10
Maximum interincisal opening
Maximum interincisal opening will be measeured in millimeters using digital caliper
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