Between available therapies for dry mouth is electrostimulation. Using an extra-oral device like TENS - which result in a statistically significant - increases the quantity of whole salivary flow rate production in xerostomia patients. The use of acupuncture as an alternative treatment modality for xerostomia has been documented in the Western medical field since the 1980s. Observational studies have demonstrated that acupuncture treatment may increase salivary flow in healthy volunteers.
It is possible that an increase of the blood fiux in the salivary glands may be one of the mechanisms behind the positive effect of acupuncture on the metabolism of the salivary glands, which leads to an increase of the salivary fiow. Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) is a non-pharmacological and well known physical therapy modality which is widely for the acute and chronic pain management. Electrostimulation using an extraoral device like TENS on parotid gland results in a statistically significant increase in the quantity of whole saliva flow rate production. Starting a prevention program as early as possible considering the most practical, cost effective and efficient treatments with the best risk-benefit ratio will help to diminish dry mouth symptoms and sequelae.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
100
Volunteers in this group (n=50) will receive only one session of 5-minute extra-oral TENS applied on bilateral parotid gland with 50 HZ frequency and pulse duration 250 µs.
Volunteers in this group (n=50) will receive only one session of 5-minute electro-acupuncture on local acu-points St4 and St 7 bilateraly with 2 HZ frequency.
Faculty of physical therapy
Giza, Dokki, Egypt
RECRUITINGsalivary flow rate
It is estimated as follow: * By dividing whole resting salivary volume on five minute collection period , thus whole resting salivary flow rate (ml/minute) is obtained (baseline). * Dividing stimulated salivary volume - collected during TENS application - on five minute collection period, thus stimulated salivary flow rate (ml/minute) is obtained. * Assessing improvement is done by comparing stimulated with whole resting salivary flow rate. Any increase in salivary rate will be considered an improvement
Time frame: during the five-minute TENS session.
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