Myofascial jaw pain can be significantly reduced by a single acupuncture treatment at Hegu L.I.-4. Twenty-eight subjects with chronic myofascial pain of the jaw muscles were randomised to receive real or sham acupuncture. Prior to treatment, each subject clenched their teeth for two minutes. Acupuncture or sham acupuncture was then administered at Hegu L.I.-4 for 15 minutes. Real acupuncture was carried out through a sticky foam pad at the acupoint. Sham acupuncture was conducted by pricking the skin, without penetration, using a shortened, blunted acupuncture needle through a foam pad placed away from the acupoint. Subjects receiving real acupuncture experienced a significant reduction in jaw pain, jaw/face tightness and neck pain and a significant increasen in pain tolerance of the masseter muscle. No significant pain reductions were observed in the sham acupuncture group. (Randomized clinical trial of acupuncture for myofascial pain of the jaw muscles. J Orofac Pain. 2009 Fall;23(4):353-9).

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