Short-term transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation reduces pain and improves the masticatory muscle activity in temporomandibular disorder patients: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract Studies to assess the effects of therapies on pain and masticatory muscle function are scarce. Objective To investigate the short-term effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) by examining pain intensity, pressure pain threshold (PPT) and electromyography (EMG) activity in patients with temporomandibular disorder (TMD). Material and Methods Forty patients with myofascial TMD were enrolled in this randomized placebo-controlled trial and were divided into two groups: active (n=20) and placebo (n=20) TENS. Outcome variables assessed at baseline (T0), immediately a...