An interventional study of Dry Needling and Sham Dry Needling in Dry Needling, Technique for the Treatment of the Myofascial Trigger Points, Dry Needling Technique and Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD), sponsored by Universidade do Porto. Completed at 1 site in Portugal. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-03.
Sponsored by Universidade do Porto · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
A prospective, double-blinded, randomized, controlled clinical trial was conducted, in which Dry Needling (DN), sham DN (placebo), and counselling (gold standard) were compared, with specific objectives to assess both the benefits (e.g., pain reduction and functional improvement) and harms (e.g., adverse events) of each intervention.
624 studies on the registry are indexed under Temporomandibular Joint Disorders; 159 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 30 is below the median of 46 across 442 interventional studies indexed under Temporomandibular Joint Disorders.
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Patients diagnosed with Temporomandibular Disorder(TMD) axis I diagnostic of myofascial pain and active Myofascial Trigger Points (MTrPs) in the masseter and/or temporalis muscles, with:
Exclusion Criteria:
DN therapy was applied in the Myofascial Trigger Points (MTrPs).
Procedure: Dry Needling
Sham DN was applied pricking the skin with a blunted needle after the skin was disinfected with alcohol and the trigger points determined using the same protocol as in the DN group.
Procedure: Sham Dry Needling
Patients received an educational and counseling program about Myofascial Pain and Myofascial Trigger Points.
Behavioral: Counselling
Dry Needling therapy was applied in the Myofascial Trigger Points (MTrPs) using standard single use sterile acupuncture needles 0,20mm x 13mm. The patient was placed in the supine position, the skin was disinfected with alcohol, the trigger points were determined, and the needle was inserted. When the needle penetrated the MTrP a movement "up and down" was repeated 3 to 5 times (without being completely removed). The procedure was repeated for each MTrPs present, including both active and latent points.
Sham Dry Needling was applied pricking the skin with a blunted needle after the skin was disinfected with alcohol and the trigger points determined. The sham DN looked very similar to real DN except it didn't penetrate the skin.
Counseling program about Myofascial Pain and Myofascial Trigger Points, emphasizing the benign nature of the condition. Patients were were instructed to relax their masticatory muscles, avoid clenching their teeth, refrain from chewing gum, biting their nails or pens, and to avoid other similar oral habits.
Pain intensity
Pain intensity rated using a visual analogic scale (VAS).
Time frame: Before and after intervention, 1 month after the last consultation
Pain-free maximal jaw opening (PFJO)
PFJO was assessed with a millimeter rule
Time frame: Before and after intervention, 1 month after the last consultation
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
This study is completed, as verified in Sep 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Temporomandibular Joint Disorders →