Percin Alper, Basat Hande, Ozden Ali Veysel, Yenisehir Semiha
Avrasya University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation - Trabzon, Türkiye.
Bahçeşehir University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation - İstanbul, Türkiye.
Rev Assoc Med Bras (1992). 2025 Jun 2;71(4):e20241739. doi: 10.1590/1806-9282.20241739. eCollection 2025.
Temporomandibular disorders associated with myofascial pain syndrome cause pain and disability in daily life. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of auricular vagus nerve stimulation on pain in women with myofascial pain syndrome-related temporomandibular disorder.
A total of 50 women with myofascial pain syndrome-related temporomandibular disorder aged between 18 and 35 years participated in this study. The vagus group (n=25) received auricular vagus nerve stimulation and manual therapy and exercise, and the control group (n=25) received only manual therapy and exercise twice a week for 3 months. The pressure pain threshold was used for the assessment.
In the vagus group, pressure pain threshold on the masseter, temporalis, sternocleidomastoid, digastricus, trapezius, and levator scapula muscles increased statistically significantly after treatment compared to baseline (p<0.05). In the control group, pressure pain threshold on the masseter and levator scapula muscles increased (p<0.05), while no statistically significant difference was found in the pressure pain threshold on the temporalis, sternocleidomastoid, digastricus, and trapezius muscles (p>0.05). When both groups were compared, vagus group was found to be more effective than control group in increasing pressure pain threshold in the masseter, trapezius, and levator scapula muscles (p<0.05).
Auricular vagus nerve stimulation was found to be effective in increasing pressure pain threshold in patients with myofascial pain syndrome-related temporomandibular disorder. The clinical trial registration number was NCT05500716.
与肌筋膜疼痛综合征相关的颞下颌关节紊乱症会导致日常生活中的疼痛和功能障碍。本研究旨在探讨耳迷走神经刺激对患有肌筋膜疼痛综合征相关颞下颌关节紊乱症女性的疼痛影响。
共有50名年龄在18至35岁之间、患有肌筋膜疼痛综合征相关颞下颌关节紊乱症的女性参与了本研究。迷走神经组（n = 25）接受耳迷走神经刺激以及手法治疗和运动，对照组（n = 25）仅接受每周两次的手法治疗和运动，为期3个月。采用压痛阈值进行评估。
在迷走神经组中，治疗后咬肌、颞肌、胸锁乳突肌、二腹肌、斜方肌和肩胛提肌的压痛阈值与基线相比有统计学显著提高（p < 0.05）。在对照组中，咬肌和肩胛提肌的压痛阈值有所提高（p < 0.05），而颞肌、胸锁乳突肌、二腹肌和斜方肌的压痛阈值未发现统计学显著差异（p > 0.05）。两组比较时，发现迷走神经组在提高咬肌、斜方肌和肩胛提肌的压痛阈值方面比对照组更有效（p < 0.05）。
发现耳迷走神经刺激对患有肌筋膜疼痛综合征相关颞下颌关节紊乱症的患者提高压痛阈值有效。临床试验注册号为NCT05500716。
