Orofacial Pain Self-management: Personality Moderation Effect

Launched by FUNDACIÓN UNIVERSIDAD CATÓLICA DE VALENCIA SAN VICENTE MÁRTIR · Apr 16, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is looking at how self-management techniques can help people with chronic orofacial pain and temporomandibular disorders (TMD), which are issues with the jaw joint that can cause pain in the face and mouth. The researchers want to see if learning to manage pain through education, exercises, and lifestyle changes is more effective than traditional treatments recommended by medical guidelines. They will also explore how different personality traits might influence how well these treatments work for individual patients.

To participate in the trial, you need to be between 18 and 65 years old and have been diagnosed with TMD-related pain that lasts for a significant part of the day. You should be experiencing moderate pain, but you cannot have certain other medical conditions, recent injuries, or be receiving other treatments for your pain. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the self-management program or the standard treatment program, and they will be assessed at three different points: before starting the program, after five weeks, and again after six months. This study aims to find out the best ways to help manage orofacial pain effectively.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • The patient presents TMDs diagnosed according to the CD/TMD classification.
• • Age between 18 and 65.
• • Presence of pain in mandibular, temporal, facial, peri-auricular and/or auricular regions.
• • Presence of chronic orofacial pain. Defined by the ICD-11 as orofacial pain or headache that occurs for more than two hours a day for 50% of the days of the last three months.
• • Orofacial pain is related to TMDs according to the International Classification of Headaches.
• • Moderate pain intensity, corresponding to a weekly average of at least 30 mm on a 100 mm VAS (validated representation of moderate pain on the VAS scale = 31-54 mm)
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Concomitant rheumatic systemic pathologies.
• • History of trauma or recent surgical intervention in the head, face, neck or chest.
• • Presence of intraoral infections or odontogenic pain.
• • Headache of neuropathic origin (trigeminal neuralgia, Arnold neuralgia, etc.).
• • Being receiving therapy (except rescue pharmacological therapy) for this disorder or pain.
• • Cognitive impairment that prevents the follow-up of an educational program (determined through the MoCA questionnaire)