Conservative Treatment of Patients With Temporomandibular Disorders (D1P2-TMD)
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01021306 |
Recruitment Status :
Completed
First Posted : November 26, 2009
Results First Posted : November 17, 2014
Last Update Posted : May 22, 2017
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
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Temporomandibular Disorders | Device: Chiropractic w/Activator & Self Care Device: Dental Care & Self Care Other: Sham AMCT Other: Self-Care Only Group | Not Applicable |
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 80 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Masking: | Single (Participant) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | Conservative Treatment of Patients With Temporomandibular Disorders |
Study Start Date : | January 2010 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | October 2011 |
Actual Study Completion Date : | May 2012 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
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Active Comparator: Chiropractic w/Activator & Self Care
This technique uses a hand held instrument to deliver a quick, shallow thrust in a well defined manner.
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Device: Chiropractic w/Activator & Self Care
This technique uses a hand held instrument to deliver a quick, shallow thrust in a well defined manner. The instrument has two handles that are squeezed together until it clicks, resulting in a shallow, very quick thrust to the segment that is to be adjusted. The AMCT protocol is a structured method of chiropractic treatment that utilized a number of simple biomechanical tests in order to determine where to adjust. These tests are mostly well defined movements of body parts such as extending the head or laterally moving the mandible relative to the rest of the skull. This protocol includes treatment of the full spine and appendages as well as the area immediately around the jaw. |
Active Comparator: Dental Care & Self Care
Intraoral splints are removable orthopedic appliances fabricated of hard acrylic resin positioned between the remaining teeth of the patient. They are designed in theory to support the function of the TMJ and relieve associated pain. Stabilization splints are believed to function by stabilizing the intracapsular structure of the TMJ, reducing activity of masticatory muscles, distributing occlusal forces, and reducing bruxism (teeth grinding).
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Device: Dental Care & Self Care
Following the dental exam, patients will have maxillary and mandibular polyvinyl siloxane impressions made. Interocclusal records will be made with a fast setting silicone using a metal tray. A commercial laboratory will then wax and heat process a clear acrylic resin splint attempting to capture the mandibular cusp tips in the occlusal plan of the splint. The splint will be adjusted to provide uniform posterior centric occlusal stops followed by evaluation for canine guidance. The splint will then be polished and home care instruction provided. Patients will be instructed to wear the splint at night and two hours per day. |
Sham Comparator: Sham AMCT & Self Care
This protocol will attempt to follow all of the procedures of the actual AMCT protocol except no thrust will be delivered. Self-care only participants successfully completing the 6 month assessment will be given the option for RIST or AMCT for one month.
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Other: Sham AMCT
This protocol will attempt to follow all of the procedures of the actual AMCT protocol except that when a thrust is given with the Activator instrument, the clinician will place the thumb of his left hand over the spot that would normally be adjusted. The tip of the instrument them will be placed very close to, but not touching the thumb. Consequently, the patient will feel the contact of the clinician's thumb on the spot that would be normally adjusted, and will hear the click of the instrument, but no thrust will be delivered to the patient. |
Placebo Comparator: Self-care only group
All patients will be offered the self-care checklist of homecare approaches at baseline. Self-care only participants successfully completing the 6 months assessment will be given the option for RIST or AMCT for one month.
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Other: Self-Care Only Group
Self care consists of an initial set of standard patient self performed treatments which will include jaw relaxation exercises, reduction of parafunction, thermal packs, low dose NSAIDs, passive opening stretches and suggestions for stress reduction. |
- Patient-Rated TMD Pain, an 11 Point Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) [ Time Frame: 2 months ]The Numerical Rating Scale ranges from 0 (no pain) to 10 (pain as bad as it can be).
- Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) [ Time Frame: 2 months ]The OHIP-14 contains 2 questions about each of 7 dimensions (14 items), indicating how often the participant had experienced each difficulty in the previous month; possible responses range from 0 (never) to 4 (very often). The OHIP score was obtained by summing the 14 ratings.
- Bothersomeness of Symptoms [ Time Frame: 2 months ]Possible ratings range from 1 (not at all bothersome) to 5 (extremely bothersome)

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 21 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Age 21 years or older
- TMD symptoms for at least 6 months
- Must have 7-8 teeth per dental arch that are in occlusion (can be restored teeth or dental implants with crowns or fixed dental bridgework)
- Typical TMD pain during the past week > = 3 on an 11 point Numerical Rating Scale
- RDC/TMD Axis I diagnosis of myofascial pain (Group Ia or Ib) with or without a concurrent diagnosis of arthralgia (Group IIIa) or disk displacement with reduction (Group IIa)
- Stable prescription medication plan: no changes in prescription medication for pain during the past month
Exclusion Criteria:
- Current or pending litigation for a personal injury case, worker's compensation, or disability
- Participants with unstable periodontitis and/or a dental condition with untreated disease (e.g., caries). Participants may elect to have her/his dental care provided to stabilize their dental condition prior to randomization.
- Subjects with Canine Class II malocclusion that would prohibit fabrication of RIST appliance
- Cases that need further diagnostic procedures to rule in or rule out the condition (i.e., MRI or CT scan)
- Systemic arthritis or other serious medical condition necessitating maximum daily dosing of COX-2 inhibitor or NSAIDs, (All NSAID use will be recorded in the daily diary as a part of the Self-Care data recording).
- Participants presenting with complete dentures
- Any treatment for TMD during the previous month, except for non-prescription medications or a stable prescription medication regimen for TMD.
- Inability to read or verbally comprehend English
- Unwillingness to be enrolled in any of the four intervention groups.
- Unwillingness to postpone other forms of treatment for TMD during the two month active care phase (except for non-prescription medications or continuation of a stable prescription medication regimen).
- Unwillingness to postpone any chiropractic care during the two month active care phase.
- Intention to move from the area during the next seven months
- Ever had active chiropractor care for TMD pain
- Drug or alcohol abuse
- Pregnant or planning to be pregnant during next seven months
- MVA or other trauma in the last six months
- Facial pain/TMD not worst pain
- General poor health
- Extensive dental work in past 6 months including orthodontics
- Serious co-morbid conditions, including: Lupus Erythematosus, Sjogren's Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, Symptomatic Trigeminal Neuralgia (tic/tic douloureux) or any other neuralgia of the face, Thyroid problem not controlled by medication, Uncontrolled diabetes, Rheumatoid arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Polymyalgia Rheumatic, Giant Cell Arteritis, Psoriatic Arthritis, Reiters Syndrome, Bechets Syndrome, Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Parkinson's Disease, Tardive Dyskinesia, Active seizure disorder, Stroke with head and neck symptoms, Addison's Disease, Cushing's Disease
- Have had or ever had any type of head or neck surgery within the last 6 months
- Have had or ever had radiation treatment to the head and/or neck
- Have had or ever had surgery of your jaw joints, not including arthroscopic surgery
- Have had or ever had Herpes Zoster or shingles in the face

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): NCT01021306
United States, Iowa | |
Schaeffer Chiropractic | |
Coralville, Iowa, United States, 52241 | |
Palmer College of Chirpractic | |
Davenport, Iowa, United States, 52803 | |
University of Iowa College of Dentistry | |
Iowa City, Iowa, United States, 52242 |
Principal Investigator: | James W DeVocht, DC, PhD | Palmer College of Chiropractic |
Other Publications:
Responsible Party: | Palmer College of Chiropractic |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT01021306 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
DCRC1-P2 5U19AT004663-02 ( U.S. NIH Grant/Contract ) |
First Posted: | November 26, 2009 Key Record Dates |
Results First Posted: | November 17, 2014 |
Last Update Posted: | May 22, 2017 |
Last Verified: | April 2017 |
Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement: | |
Plan to Share IPD: | Yes |
Plan Description: | Once the resulting manuscripts have been published, data sets will be provided for public access. Potential investigators can contact one of the Co-PIs to present their hypothesis, study design, instruments and/or data on which to focus, and resources required. Depending upon the needs and desires of the requesting party, the data that are shared may include analytic tables or de-identified or limited data sets that are transmitted to the requesting parties for additional analyses. |
Temporomandibular Joint Disorders Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome Craniomandibular Disorders Mandibular Diseases Jaw Diseases |
Musculoskeletal Diseases Joint Diseases Muscular Diseases Stomatognathic Diseases Myofascial Pain Syndromes |