• E Winocur, A Gavish, M Halachmi, I Eli, and E Gazit.
• Department of Occlusion and Behavioral Sciences, Maurice and Gabriela Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
• J Orofac Pain. 2000 Jan 1;14(1):31-6.

AimsTo determine the effectiveness of topical capsaicin cream application on localized pain in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) area.MethodsA randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted on 30 patients suffering from unilateral pain in the TMJ area. Patients were randomly divided into experimental and placebo groups; they were instructed to apply 0.025% capsaicin cream or its vehicle to the painful TMJ area 4 times daily for 4 weeks. Subjective parameters of present pain, most severe pain, effect of pain on daily activities, and pain relief were assessed each week on a visual analog scale. Muscle and joint sensitivity to palpation on the painful and contralateral joints and maximal mouth opening (assisted/passive and non-assisted/active) were examined weekly by the same experienced examiner.ResultsCapsaicin cream produced no statistically significant influence on measured variables when compared to placebo. Both experimental and placebo groups showed statistically significant improvement in most variables during the experiment.ConclusionThe factor of time had a major effect in the non-specific improvement of the parameters assessed. The placebo effect played an important role in the treatment of patients with pain in the TMJ area.

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