Telerehabilitation for TMD

University of Minnesota (UMN)

Status: Completed

Conditions: TMD Headache; Masticatory Myofascial Pain; Temporomandibular Disorder; TMJ Disc Displacement Without Reduction; TMJ Disc Displacement With Reduction; TMJ Arthralgia

Treatments: Other: Telerehabilitation

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05318313

DENT-2022-30141

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study will compare after physical therapy for Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) performed either in-person or virtually using telerehabilitation. Comparing diagnostic reliability and quality-of-life outcomes in each group will determine (based on a 10% margin) whether delivering physical therapy via telerehabilitation is as good as standard in-person care for these individuals. Long term outcomes including patient satisfaction, cost-effectiveness analysis, and functional status will describe the feasibility of telerehabilitation as a management intervention for this population.

Enrollment: 207 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 70 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• 18-70 years old
• Referred to PT with ≥1 TMD subtype diagnosis
• PI has no previous knowledge of the participant's diagnosis
• Email access
• Possession of any device that can be positioned for hands-free TR visits (TR group only)
• Willingness and ability to comply with all study requirements and PT program
• Able to provide informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• Non-English speakers

• Permanent residence outside of the state of Minnesota (TR group only)

• Women in the last trimester of pregnancy

• Referred for post-surgical rehabilitation

• Severe chronic pain as identified by level 4 classification on the GCPS

• Current diagnosis or existence of the following conditions that can limit response to PT and participation in study activities:

  1. Neuropathic pain
  2. Fibromyalgia and/or generalized widespread pain on both sides of the body in ≥3 areas above and below the waist
  3. Rheumatoid arthritis or juvenile idiopathic arthritis
  4. Dystonia or other movement disorder
  5. Fractures and/or recent jaw or facial trauma
  6. Malignancies
  7. Current substance abuse

Trial design

207 participants in 4 patient groups

Telerehabilitation only

Description:

Participants choose to have all of their physical therapy provided virtually throughout the length of the study

Treatment:

Other: Telerehabilitation

In-person only

Description:

Participants choose to have all of their physical therapy provided in-person throughout the length of the study

Hybrid 1

Description:

The TR PT evaluation and follow-up visits in the initial 6 weeks will be performed via Zoom software and subsequent follow-up visits will switch to in person after 6 weeks

Treatment:

Other: Telerehabilitation

Hybrid 2

Description:

The PT evaluation and follow-up visits in the initial 6 weeks will be performed in person and will switch to TR via Zoom software after 6 weeks

Treatment:

Other: Telerehabilitation