BACKGROUND: Pain is the main symptom of patients with temporomandibular disorder (TMD). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of cathodal high-voltage electrical stimulation (HVES) on pain intensity in women with TMD. METHODS: Twenty women with TMD (24.25±8.90 years old) participated in the study. They were divided into experimental group (EG, n=10), which received 10 applications of HVES, and placebo group (PG, n=10), which received sham treatment with disconnected HVES equipment. For the sample selection, we used the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorder (RDC/TMD). Pain level was evaluated using a visual analog scale (VAS) applied prior to and after the tenth application of HVES. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and the Mann-Whitney test. RESULTS: Ten applications of HVES reduced pain intensity in the EG (p=0.01). In the PG, there was no significant difference (p=0.20). After the application of HVES, no difference was found (p=0.65) between the groups. CONCLUSION: The cathodal HVES was effective in reducing pain in women with TMD. Trial Registration RBR-4bk94x.
physical therapy; clinical trial; temporomandibular joint disorders; electrical stimulation
