Tullberg Marie, Alstergren Per J, Ernberg Malin M
Department of Clinical Oral Physiology, Institute of Odontology, Karolinska Institutet, Box 4064, SE-141 04 Huddinge, Sweden.
Pain. 2003 Sep;105(1-2):89-96. doi: 10.1016/s0304-3959(03)00166-0.
One possible cause of the reported positive treatment effect by low-power laser exposure in muscle pain conditions could be that it increases the local microcirculation. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the immediate effects on masseter muscle blood flow by low-power laser exposure in patients with chronic orofacial pain of muscular origin in comparison to healthy individuals. Twelve patients with myofascial pain of orofacial muscles and 12 age and gender matched healthy individuals participated in the study. Before laser exposure the subjects were examined clinically and the patients scored their current pain intensity from the most tender masseter muscle. Intramuscular laser-Doppler flowmetry was performed unilaterally in the most tender point (patients) or in a standardized point (healthy subjects) of the masseter muscle. The muscle was first exposed with a Gallium-Aluminum-Arsenide laser (active laser) or placebo laser for 2 min in a randomized and double-blind manner. After another 8 min the muscle was treated with the other laser for 2 min and the LDF recording continued for 8 min. Finally, the patients again assessed the pain intensity. Data were analyzed blindly by one of the authors not participating in data collection. The pain intensity was not affected by laser exposure. The blood flow did not change significantly in the patients, but increased after active laser exposure and decreased after placebo exposure in the healthy individuals. The difference between active laser and placebo was significant. In conclusion, the results of this study do not support an effect of low-power laser exposure on masseter muscle microcirculation in patients with chronic orofacial pain of muscular origin.
在肌肉疼痛病症中，低功率激光照射报告显示有积极治疗效果，其一个可能原因是它能增加局部微循环。因此，本研究的目的是调查与健康个体相比，低功率激光照射对患有肌肉源性慢性口面部疼痛患者的咬肌血流的即时影响。12名患有口面部肌肉肌筋膜疼痛的患者和12名年龄及性别匹配的健康个体参与了该研究。在激光照射前，对受试者进行临床检查，患者对最 tender 的咬肌当前的疼痛强度进行评分。在咬肌最 tender 的点（患者）或标准化点（健康受试者）单侧进行肌内激光多普勒血流测量。首先用砷化镓铝激光（活性激光）或安慰剂激光以随机双盲方式对肌肉照射2分钟。再过8分钟后，用另一种激光对肌肉治疗2分钟，并且激光多普勒血流测量记录持续8分钟。最后，患者再次评估疼痛强度。由未参与数据收集的一名作者对数据进行盲法分析。疼痛强度不受激光照射影响。患者的血流没有显著变化，但在健康个体中，活性激光照射后血流增加，安慰剂照射后血流减少。活性激光和安慰剂之间的差异显著。总之，本研究结果不支持低功率激光照射对患有肌肉源性慢性口面部疼痛患者的咬肌微循环有影响。
