Hypnorelaxation as treatment for myofascial pain disorder: A comparative study

• Published in: Oral surgery, oral medicine, oral pathology, oral radiology and endodontics Vol. 93; no. 4; pp. 429 - 434
• Main Authors: Winocur, Ephraim, Gavish, Anat, Emodi-Perlman, Alona, Halachmi, Michele, Eli, Ilana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: St. Louis, MO Mosby, Inc 01-04-2002; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Autogenic Training; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Dentistry; Depression - psychology; Diseases of striated muscles. Neuromuscular diseases; Female; Humans; Mandible - physiopathology; Masseter Muscle - physiopathology; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neurology; Occlusal Splints; Pain Measurement; Palpation; Patient Education as Topic; Patient Satisfaction; Range of Motion, Articular - physiology; Somatoform Disorders - psychology; Temporal Muscle - physiopathology; Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome - physiopathology; Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome - psychology; Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome - therapy; Treatment Outcome; Human; Relaxation; Striated muscle disease; Pain; Treatment; Efficiency; Hypnosis; Myalgia; Method; Myofascial pain syndrome; Comparative study
• ISSN: 1079-2104; 1528-395X
• DOI: 10.1067/moe.2002.122587

Background. Hypnorelaxation has a potentially beneficial effect in the treatment of masticatory myofascial pain disorders (MPD). However, there are no data regarding the efficacy of hypnorelaxation in the treatment of MPD compared with other accepted modes of treatment (such as occlusal appliance) or with the mere effect of time. Objective And Subjects. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of hypnorelaxation in the treatment of MPD compared with the use of occlusal appliance and/or to minimal treatment. The study population consisted of 40 female patients with myofascial pain who were allocated to 1 of 3 possible treatment groups: (1) hypnorelaxation (n = 15), (2) occlusal appliance (n = 15), and (3) minimal treatment group (n = 10). Results. Both active treatment modes (hypnorelaxation and occlusal appliance) were more effective than minimal treatment regarding alleviating muscular sensitivity to palpation. However, only hypnorelaxation (but not occlusal appliance) was significantly more effective than minimal treatment with regard to the patient's subjective report of pain on the Visual Analog Scale. Conclusion. Hypnorelaxation is an effective mode of treatment in MPD, especially with regard to some of the subjective pain parameters. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2002;93:429-34)