Trial reportBMC oral health2026
Dry needling, lidocaine, and mepivacaine for myofascial pain and associated temporomandibular disorder and depressive symptoms: a randomized clinical trial.
Trial report in BMC oral health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07079449 (Trigger Point Injections for Myofascial Pain), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Trigger Point Injections for Myofascial Pain: A Comparative Study of Dry Needling, Lidocaine, and Mepivacaine
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMyofascial pain of the masticatory muscles significantly contributes to temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and is often associated with impaired function and depressive symptoms. While trigger point injections like dry needling and local anesthetics are common, direct comparisons in the orofacial region are limited. This randomized trial compared the effectiveness of dry needling, lidocaine, and mepivacaine regarding myofascial pain, self-reported TMD symptoms, and depressive symptoms.
methodsIn this double-blind trial, 75 patients with bilateral active masseter and temporalis trigger points were randomized to dry needling, lidocaine (20 mg/mL), or mepivacaine (30 mg/mL) (n = 25 each). Interventions were administered weekly for three sessions. Pain intensity (Visual Analog Scale), depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory), and TMD symptoms (Fonseca Anamnestic Index) were assessed at baseline and at a short-term follow-up (one week post-treatment). Two-way repeated measures ANOVA with Bonferroni post-hoc tests evaluated interactions between time and treatment.
resultsAll interventions significantly reduced pain, depressive, and TMD scores (p < 0.001). A significant time x group interaction was observed for pain intensity (p < 0.001). Mepivacaine achieved the greatest mean pain reduction (5.36), which was significantly superior to dry needling (p = 0.001), whereas no significant difference was found between lidocaine and dry needling (p = 0.226). No significant between-group differences were observed for changes in depressive or TMD symptom scores (p > 0.05).
conclusionsAll three modalities effectively reduced myofascial pain and improved psychological outcomes within the short-term observation period of one week. Mepivacaine demonstrated superior short-term pain reduction compared to dry needling. Both local anesthetics represent viable options for short-term myofascial pain management, though studies with longer follow-up periods are required to evaluate sustained effects and comparative advantages.
trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT07079449. Registered on July 14, 2025.
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