TMD SELF MANAGEMENT
Self-management (SM) programmes are commonly used for initial treatment of patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD). The programmes described in the literature, however, vary widely with no consistency in terminology used, components of care or their definitions.
A four-round Delphi process with eleven international experts in the field of TMD was conducted to achieve the aim of establishing an efficacious universal protocol.
In the first round, the participants agreed upon six principal concepts of self-management. In the remaining three rounds, consensus was achieved upon the definition and the six components of self-management.
The main components identified and agreed upon by the participants to constitute the core of a SM programme for TMD were as follows:
- education
- jaw exercises
- massage
- thermal therapy
- dietary advice and nutrition
- parafunctional behaviour identification, monitoring and avoidance.
Reference:
SELF-MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMES IN TEMPOROMANDIBULAR DISORDERS: RESULTS FROM AN INTERNATIONAL DELPHI PROCESS
J Oral Rehabil.2016 Dec.
