Effect of low-level laser therapy on pain levels in patients with temporomandibular disorders: a systematic review

Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are characterized by the presence of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and/or masticatory muscle pain and dysfunction. Low-level laser is presented as an adjuvant therapeutic modality for the treatment of TMD, especially when the presence of inflammatory pain is suspected. Objective: To systematically review studies that investigated the effect of low level laser therapy (LLLT) on the pain levels in individuals with TMD. Material and Methods: The databases Scopus, embase, ebsco and PubMed were reviewed from January/2003 to October/2010 with the following keywords: laser therapy, low-level laser therapy, temporomandibular joint disorders, temporomandibular joint dysfunction syndrome, temporomandibular joint, temporomandibular, facial pain and arthralgia, with the inclusion criteria for intervention studies in humans. exclusion criteria adopted were intervention studies in animals, studies that were not written in english, Spanish or Portuguese, theses, monographs, and abstracts presented in scientific events. Results: After a careful review, 14 studies fit the criteria for inclusion, of which, 12 used a placebo group. As for the protocol for laser application, the energy density used ranged from 0.9 to 105 J/cm², while the power density ranged from 9.8 to 500 mW. The number of sessions varied from 1 to 20 and the frequency of applications ranged from daily for 10 days to 1 time per week for 4 weeks. A reduction in pain levels was reported in 13 studies, with 9 of these occurring only in the experimental group, and 4 studies reporting pain relief for both the experimental group and for the placebo. Conclusion: Most papers showed that LLLT seemed to be effective in reducing pain from TMD. However, the heterogeneity of the standardization regarding the parameters of laser calls for caution in interpretation of these results. Thus, it is necessary to conduct further research in order to obtain a consensus regarding the best application protocol for pain relief in patients with TMD.

Evaluation of adherence to treatment by patients seen in a psychosocial care center in northeastern Brazil

In the treatment of mental disorders, nonadherence to medication, the main cause of psychiatric morbidity, is observed in about 50 percent of the cases and is responsible for numerous losses. This study evaluated adherence to drug treatment by patients seen in a Psychosocial Care Center (CAPS) in northeastern Brazil. Adherence to treatment was evaluated using the Haynes-Sackett and Morisky-Green-Levine tests. All patients registered in the CAPS were included in the study (n= 101). Only 11.88 percent of the patients adhered to drug treatment. The main reasons not to use medication were: oblivion (68.83 percent), feeling unwell after taking the medication (54.22 percent), not having money to buy the medication (43.83 percent), not finding the medication in the public health service (39.94 percent) and fear of harm that might be caused by the drug (28.90 percent). Furthermore, 85.1 percent of the patients did not know their diseases, 88.1 percent did not know their treatment, 86.4 percent did not feel good when they took their medication, and 88.1 percent took their medication incorrectly. The results revealed that the lack of information about diseases and drugs used, the nuisance posed by drug therapy and the low access to medications reduce adherence to treatment and, consequently, treatment effectiveness.

No tratamento de desordens mentais, a não-adesão ao tratamento ocorre em cerca de 50 por cento dos casos e é responsável por inúmeros prejuízos, além de ser a principal causa de morbidade psiquiátrica. O presente estudo objetivou avaliar a adesão ao tratamento medicamentoso de pacientes atendidos em um Centro de Atenção Psicossocial (CAPS) no Nordeste do Brasil. A avaliação da adesão ao tratamento foi feita através dos testes de Haynes-Sackett e Morisky-Green-Levine. Todos os pacientes cadastrados no CAPS foram incluídos no estudo (n = 101). Observou-se que apenas 11,88 por cento dos pacientes aderiram ao tratamento medicamentoso. As principais razões para o não uso dos medicamentos foram: esquecimento (68,83 por cento), sentir-se mal após a ingestão de medicamentos (54,22 por cento), não ter dinheiro para comprar medicamentos (43,83 por cento), não encontrar os medicamentos no serviço público de saúde (39,94 por cento) e medo dos danos causados pelos medicamentos (28,90 por cento). Além disso, observou-se que 85,1 por cento dos pacientes não conheciam suas doenças, 88,1 por cento não conheciam seus tratamentos, 86,4 por cento não se sentiam bem quando usavam medicamentos e 88,1 por cento usavam os medicamentos incorretamente. Os resultados demonstram que a falta de informação sobre doenças e medicamentos, os danos decorrentes da terapia medicamentosa e o baixo acesso aos medicamentos comprometem a adesão ao tratamento e, consequentemente, a eficácia do tratamento.