Background
TMD, myofascial pain, temporomandibular disorders, Myogenous, myogenous, arthritis, pain, arthrogenous, arthrosis, muscle disorders, musculoskeletal disorder, disability, arthralgia
TEMPOROMANDIBULAR DISORDERS, MYOFASCIAL PAIN, TEMPOROMANDIBULAR DISORDERS, TMJ, DISEASE, ARTHRITIS, ARTHROSIS, MUSCLE DISORDERS, MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDER
Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) refer to a group of symptoms that may originate from temporomandibular joint (TMJ), muscles of mastication and their associated structures, or both [TMD diagnostic criteria have evolved over the last three decades to achieve the most reliable and valid diagnosis. The recent Diagnostic Criteria for TMD (DC/TMD) classify temporomandibular disorders into three groups: Group I: muscle disorders (including myofascial pain with and without mouth opening limitation); Group II: disc displacement with or without reduction and mouth opening limitation; and Group III: arthralgia, arthritis, and arthrosis [TMD is considered the second most common musculoskeletal disorder that causes pain and disability, with an overall prevalence of 90%. Myogenous related TMD are considered the most common type [Different conservative treatment modalities for the arthrogenous type of TMD were implemented. All of them focused on relieving the patient’s pain, which is the crucial cause of disability and financial burden because of the chronic nature of this disease. A recent systematic review has showed a significant decrease in pain intensity after treatment with an occlusal splint and laser therapy [These effects of light therapies depend on the level on which their photons being absorbed. LASER can trigger additional photochemical reactions on the mitochondrial level, changing cell metabolism and protein synthesis. Furthermore, it has been suggested that low-level light therapy induces new blood vessels formation with collagen production and increased fibroblast cells activity [Despite previous studies had been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of LASER and red LED light in the management of TMD, no consensus has been reached on the comparable therapeutic abilities of these treatment modalities in relieving myogenous related TMD symptoms that identified by using the recent DC/TMD diagnostic criteria. The current study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of red LED light therapy, compared to low-level LASER, in relieving the symptoms of TMD and the side effects that may exist during treatment. To our knowledge, such comparison with similar parameters has not been studied in the literature.