Acupuncture and Burning Mouth Syndrome: A Pilot Study

Authors:
Publisher website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a chronic condition most common in middle‐aged and elderly women, with prevalence rates in the general population ranging from 0.5% to 5%. Defined by the International Headache Society as “an intraoral burning sensation for which no medical or dental cause can be found,” BMS is considered a form of neuropathic pain. The management of BMS remains unsatisfactory. In this pilot study, we investigated the use of acupuncture in a small group of BMS patients. The study group, after 4 refusals, was composed of 10 BMS patients (9 females and 1 male; mean age, 65.2 years; range, from 48 to 80 years; mean duration of BMS, 2.6 years; SD ± 0.8 years). Oral pain/burning sensation (primary outcome) was measured using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Health‐related quality of life (secondary outcome) was measured using the 36‐item Short‐Form Health Survey (SF‐36). Acupuncture treatment lasted 8 weeks and consisted of 20 sessions. Patients reported a mean reduction in pain of 0.99 points on the VAS (max 2.1–min 0.1), which, although slight, was statistically significant (Wilcoxon test P < 0.009). No significant improvement in the overall score for quality of life was observed, although subjects receiving acupuncture treatment seemed better able cope with their oral symptoms.

This publication has 20 references indexed in Scilit: