Overview
This research study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE) when it is added to a physiotherapy program for people experiencing chronic temporomandibular disorders (TMD). To see whether adding PNE to physiotherapy program would provides additional benefits in reducing pain intensity, improving psychological well-being, and enhancing functional outcomes. The findings are expected to provide new insights into more comprehensive and patient-centered treatment strategies for managing chronic TMD.
Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups:
Control Group: Physiotherapy only
PNE Group: Physiotherapy plus Pain Neuroscience Education
Both groups will receive their respective treatments for a set period of time.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Diagnosed with pain-related TMDs according to DC/TMD guidelines
- Chronic TMD pain, defined as experiencing pain for at least six months and feeling the pain during the last 30 days
- Age between 18-65 years
Exclusion Criteria:
- Illiterate patients
- Severe depression (medical diagnoses)
- Previous diagnosis of uncontrolled psychiatric disorder neurodegenerative diseases
- Clinical history of tumors in the craniofacial region
- Patients in the post dental surgery period
- Patients who were submitted to previous physical therapy in the past year or to any health/pain education strategy
- Pregnant women
- Infections, whiplash-associated disorders and with chronic degenerative inflammatory or neurologic disorders