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Shamanic Healing for Women With Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMDs)

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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00071474
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : October 24, 2003
Last Update Posted : January 24, 2007
Sponsor:
Information provided by:
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

Study Description
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Brief Summary:
This is a Phase I study to examine the feasibility and safety of shamanic (spiritual) healing for treating temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs).

Condition or disease Intervention/treatment Phase
Temporomandibular Disorders Procedure: shamanic healing Phase 1

Detailed Description:
Traditional systems of healing, such as shamanism, do not readily lend themselves to conventional research methods, yet studying their effectiveness is especially germane in the case of chronic conditions that involve an emotional component and that elude allopathic treatment regimens. Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs), which affect up to 10% of the adult population, are a prime example of such conditions. Traditional treatment outcomes for TMD pain are often unsatisfactory. Moreover, in women age 25-55 (the age-sex group most affected), TMD is often found in association with depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, gastrointestinal symptoms, frequent infection,and fibromyalgia. Because these multiple and complex symptoms suggest a loss of spirit or life energy, they may be particularly susceptible to treatment by shamanic (spiritual) healing, which aims to bring disturbed physical, mental, and emotional systems into balance. This phase I study will develop methods to evaluate shamanic healing as an intervention for TMD and will evaluate the feasibility of conducting randomized clinical trials of shamanic healing.

Study Design
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Study Type : Interventional  (Clinical Trial)
Enrollment : 25 participants
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary Purpose: Treatment
Study Start Date : August 2003
Study Completion Date : May 2005

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Arms and Interventions
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Outcome Measures
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Eligibility Criteria
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Ages Eligible for Study:   25 Years to 55 Years   (Adult)
Sexes Eligible for Study:   Female
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:   Yes
Criteria

Inclusion criteria:

  • Females Age 25-55
  • TMD Research Diagnosis Criteria (RDC) clinical diagnosis of myofacial pain with or without disc displacement, arthralgia, arthritis, or arthosis
  • Three or more significant systemic conditions, e.g. depression, fibromyalgia, GI or reproductive disturbances, upper respiratory problems, etc. in the preceding 2 years.

Exclusion criteria:

  • Diagnosed organic or medication induced major mental illness (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar)
  • Other neurological diagnoses (epilepsy, Parkinsons)
  • Pregnancy
Contacts and Locations
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To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00071474


Locations
United States, Oregon
Center for Health Research, Northwest
Portland, Oregon, United States
Sponsors and Collaborators
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
Investigators
Principal Investigator: Nancy Vuckovic, MD Center for Health Research, Northwest
More Information
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00071474     History of Changes
Other Study ID Numbers: R21AT000951-01A2 ( U.S. NIH Grant/Contract )
First Posted: October 24, 2003    Key Record Dates
Last Update Posted: January 24, 2007
Last Verified: January 2007

Keywords provided by National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH):
temporomandibular disroders
shamanism
chronic pain

Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Temporomandibular Joint Disorders
Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome
Craniomandibular Disorders
Mandibular Diseases
Jaw Diseases
 Musculoskeletal Diseases
Joint Diseases
Muscular Diseases
Stomatognathic Diseases
Myofascial Pain Syndromes