BACKGROUND: The objectives of this study were to compare the efficacy of acupuncture among different types and to evaluate point-selective pain relief effects between selected adjacent or distant points in participants with temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs). METHODS: Forty-two participants were randomly allocated to three groups: an adjacent point selection group (trt, n = 14), a distant point selection group (con1, n = 14), or a combination group (con2, n = 14). All three groups received a total of six acupuncture sessions (twice a week for 3 weeks), the outcomes being assessed pain intensity using a 10-cm visual analogue scale, and the palpation index of the muscle and temporomandibular joint every week of treatment and 4 weeks after the end of treatment. RESULTS: The pain intensity was reduced in the trt (34%), con1 (31%), and con2 (36%) groups after 3 weeks compared with each group's baseline, with no significant difference among the three groups (p = 0.5867). Similarly, the palpation index was decreased by 52% (trt), 62% (con1), and 50% (con2) after 3 weeks of treatment, but no significant differences between groups were shown (p = 0.3289). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that point-selective effects among adjacent, distal, or a combination of acupoints are hardly associated with pain intensity or palpation index in participants with TMDs. Larger sample size trials are required to overcome the shortcomings of the study.

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