EFFECT OF INDOMETHACIN PHONOPHORESIS ON THE RELIEF OF TEMPOROMANDIBULAR-JOINT PAIN

The pain-relieving effect of indomethacin phonophoresis on temporomand ibular (TMJ) joint pain was evaluated in a double-blind, placebo-contr olled clinical trial. Twenty subjects, who have TMJ pain, were include d for this study and randomly assigned to either the experimental grou p (n = 10) or the control group (n = 10), Each treatment consisted of the application of ultrasound massage (1.0 MHz, 0.8 to 1.5 W/cm(2) con tinuous output) for 15 minutes to the painful temporomandibular joint, As a conducting medium, 1% indomethacin cream was used for the experi mental group and placebo cream for the control group respectively. Pre - and post-treatment pain levels and pain sensitivity were assessed wi th visual analogue scales (VAS) and pressure pain threshold (PPT), Mea n data indicated that posttreatment VAS was significantly decreased an d post-treatment PPT was significantly increased in the experimental g roup, not in the control group, The results of this study suggest that indomethacin phonophoresis provides significant pain relieving effect over the TMJ pain.