Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Research Article

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Three Different Acupuncture Methods for TMD-Related Pain: A Randomized Clinical Study

Table 3

Comparisons of the results of the BPI questionnaire between and within groups after acupuncture treatments (T1) and at follow-up visit (T2) (n = 20 in each group); mean ± SD values.


Group	T0	T1	T2	P_T	P_0-1	P_0-2

A. General activity
BA group	4.45 ± 3.53	2.30 ± 2.66	2.40 ± 2.72	0.002	0.002	0.002
EA group	4.25 ± 2.99	2.00 ± 2.69	1.75 ± 2.40	≤0.001	≤0.001	≤0.001
CA group	4.45 ± 2.11	2.35 ± 2.18	2.45 ± 2.37	≤0.001	≤0.001	≤0.001
	0.954	0.678	0.529
P_1-2	0.785	0.587	0.469
P_1-3	0.870	0.782	0.803
P_2-3	0.838	0.374	0.249
B. Mood
BA group	6.25 ± 3.07	3.40 ± 2.94	3.25 ± 2.65	≤0.001	≤0.001	≤0.001
EA group	5.30 ± 2.96	2.05 ± 2.33	1.75 ± 1.94	≤0.001	≤0.001	≤0.001
CA group	6.25 ± 2.29	3.30 ± 2.25	3.35 ± 2.32	≤0.001	≤0.001	≤0.001
	0.561	0.015	0.059
P_1-2	0.279	0.023	0.074
P_1-3	0.623	0.830	0.816
P_2-3	0.576	0.007	0.022
C. Walking ability
BA group	3.05 ± 3.68	1.40 ± 2.66	1.45 ± 2.78	0.089	0.175	0.196
EA group	1.45 ± 2.50	0.60 ± 1.14	0.60 ± 1.14	0.549	0.491	0.491
CA group	2.30 ± 2.87	1.20 ± 1.85	1.20 ± 1.85	0.091	0.252	0.252
	0.337	0.675	0.675
P_1-2	0.156	0.582	0.582
P_1-3	0.671	0.922	0.922
P_2-3	0.276	0.340	0.340
D. Normal work
BA group	4.10 ± 3.51	2.30 ± 3.06	2.35 ± 3.12	0.011	0.003	0.004
EA group	3.60 ± 3.22	1.75 ± 2.47	1.65 ± 2.28	0.011	0.004	0.002
CA group	4.00 ± 2.83	2.00 ± 2.27	2.30 ± 2.41	≤0.001	≤0.001	0.003
	0.154	0.875	0.582
P_1-2	0.097	0.677	0.589
P_1-3	0.097	0.988	0.673
P_2-3	1	0.641	0.284
E. Relations with other people
BA group	3.95 ± 3.17	2.15 ± 2.60	2.30 ± 2.77	0.023	0.005	0.005
EA group	2.60 ± 2.76	1.05 ± 1.67	1.10 ± 1.55	0.048	0.007	0.008
CA group	3.70 ± 2.30	2.60 ± 2.54	2.70 ± 2.72	0.010	0.003	0.006
	0.266	0.092	0.186
P_1-2	0.193	0.239	0.390
P_1-3	0.753	0.364	0.443
P_2-3	0.132	0.026	0.053
F. Sleep
BA group	4.80 ± 3.30	2.95 ± 2.84	3.10 ± 2.83	≤0.001	≤0.001	≤0.001
EA group	4.50 ± 3.47	0.95 ± 1.05	1.75 ± 1.77	≤0.001	≤0.001	≤0.001
CA group	5.05 ± 3.14	3.65 ± 3.12	3.95 ± 3.05	0.023	0.004	0.017
	0.874	0.014	0.062
P_1-2	0.775	0.024	0.155
P_1-3	0.796	0.484	0.317
P_2-3	0.614	0.007	0.022
G. Enjoyment of life
BA group	5.05 ± 3.89	3.35 ± 3.98	3.35 ± 3.98	0.047	0.015	0.015
EA group	3.05 ± 3.27	1.35 ± 2.50	1.40 ± 2.54	0.023	0.005	0.005
CA group	3.65 ± 3.12	2.30 ± 2.49	2.40 ± 2.68	≤0.001	≤0.001	≤0.001
	0.222	0.210	0.224
P_1-2	0.101	0.142	0.147
P_1-3	0.281	0.757	0.790
P_2-3	0.419	0.107	0.118

VNS, verbal numeric scale; SD, standard deviation. BA group, body acupuncture; EA group, electroacupuncture; CA group, acupuncture + cupping. , value for the comparison among groups (one-way ANOVA on ranks); P_1–2, value for multiple comparisons of BA group and EA group (Bonferroni-corrected post hoc test); P_1-3, value for multiple comparisons of BA group and CA group (Bonferroni-corrected post hoc test); P_2-3, value for multiple comparisons of EA group and CA group (Bonferroni-corrected post hoc test). P_T, value for the within-group comparison (Friedman test); P_0-1, value for the comparison of baseline (T0) and after 4 weeks (T1) scores (Wilcoxon signed-rank test); P_0-2, value for the comparison of baseline (T0) and after 8 weeks (T2) scores (Wilcoxon signed-rank test).