Dry Needling in Treatment of Temporomandibular Joint Disorders: A Systematic Review

Objectives

Among the minimally invasive techniques for treating temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs) is dry needling, which can be used as a potential treatment method. This study aims to review current knowledge to understand the impact of dry needling on treating TMDs.

Methods

This systematic review was carried out in alignment with the guidelines outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). A comprehensive literature search was performed using PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The search was done on the studies published between 2000 and 2024. Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias tool for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was applied to evaluate the risk of bias.

Results

A total of 673 studies were identified. Among these, 245 articles were assessed for eligibility; ultimately, 10 studies were made up of the final review. These studies evaluated several outcome measures, the most common of which were: the visual analog scale (VAS), verbal rating scale (VRS), electromyography (EMG), extent of mouth opening, pain symptomatology, myofascial trigger point pain, sonographic measurements, bilateral muscle palpation with a pressure algometer, Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), and mandibular mobility. Most RCTs had a low risk of bias.

Conclusion

The findings consistently underscore the role of dry needling (DN) and other adjunctive therapies in improving clinical outcomes, particularly pain reduction and functional improvement.