Acta odontologica Scandinavica
-
Acta Odontol. Scand. · Jun 1996
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialDiclofenac sodium as an alternative treatment of temporomandibular joint pain.
In a double-blind study, diclofenac sodium (Voltaren), 50 mg two or three times a day, was compared with placebo in 32 patients with pain localized to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). The patients were allocated into two equally large groups. A visual analog scale was used to estimate the pretreatment degree of pain. ⋯ The diclofenac group also showed a significant decrease in tenderness to palpation of the masticatory muscles in comparison with the placebo group. The patients with short duration of pain showed the best response to diclofenac. There was no evidence in this study to prove that diclofenac should be used as a primary treatment of TMJ pain, but it could be used as a complement to other treatments of acute TMJ pain.