Premium
Effects of near‐infrared irradiation to stellate ganglion in glossodynia
Author(s) -
Nakase M,
Okumura K,
Tamura T,
Kamei T,
Kada K,
Nakamura S,
Inui M,
Tagawa T
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
oral diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.953
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1601-0825
pISSN - 1354-523X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1601-0825.2004.01001.x
Subject(s) - tongue , medicine , stellate ganglion , visual analogue scale , blood flow , burning mouth syndrome , ganglion , anesthesia , gastroenterology , anatomy , pathology , alternative medicine
Objective: This study was designed to assess the effect of stellate ganglion near‐infrared irradiation (SGR) on glossodynia and the mechanism of action. Study design: Thirty‐seven patients with glossodynia received SGR once weekly for 4 weeks. The response to treatment was evaluated on the basis of the change in pain intensity, assessed with a visual analogue scale (VAS) before and after 4 weeks of treatment. The temperature and blood flow of the tongue were also measured before and after first SGR. As control, eight healthy subjects were studied. Results: Tongue pain as assessed by the VAS decreased in 28 of the 37 patients (75.7%). Mean pain intensity decreased significantly from 5.1 ± 2.2 to 1.9 ± 2.1 ( P < 0.05). Tongue blood flow at rest in the patients with glossodynia [7.2 ± 1.6 ml min −1 (100 g) −1 ] was significantly lower than that in the healthy subjects [7.8 ± 0.23 ml min −1 (100 g) −1 ]. Five minutes after SGR, the temperature of the tongue rose 1.5 ± 0.21°C, and blood flow increased to 8.5 ± 1.2 ml min −1 (100 g) −1 . Tongue blood flow (at rest) after 4 weeks of SGR had increased to 7.7 ± 1.1 ml min −1 (100 g) −1 . Conclusion: SGR is an effective treatment for glossodynia. The mechanism by which SGR improves symptoms associated with glossodynia is thought to be as follows: SGR inhibits abnormally increased sympathetic activity associated with glossodynia. This is followed by normalization of decreased tongue blood flow, thereby alleviating pain.