Comparison of the Effect of Pain Neuroscience Education Combined With Physiotherapy, and Physiotherapy Alone in Temporomandibular Disorders

Comparison of the Effect of Pain Neuroscience Education Combined With Physiotherapy, and Physiotherapy Alone in Temporomandibular Disorders

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.

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