Mindfulness-based orofacial pain education promotes perceived control and self-management in painful TMD.
Beatriz Dorne, Giovana Quaresma del Grande, Alex Moreira Mélo, Paula Rodrigues-Pereira, Melissa Oliveira Melchior, Matheus Herreira-Ferreira, Jardel Francisco Mazzi-Chaves, Laís Valencise Magri
Cranio : the journal of craniomandibular practice October 29, 2026 DOI: 10.1080/08869634.2026.2755878 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Mixed-methods quasi-experimental controlled study Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 53 |
| Population | Adults with chronic painful temporomandibular disorders |
| Interventions | Mindfulness-Based Orofacial Pain Education Program conventional care |
| Duration | 8-week program |
| Measures | WHOQOL-BREF |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Patient education Counseling Self-management Temporomandibular disorders Pain education |
| Key findings | Adding an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Orofacial Pain Education Program to conventional care did not improve the primary outcome, psychological quality of life (β = 0.165; 95% CI, -0.113 to 0.442), or most secondary outcomes. It improved the environmental quality-of-life domain (β = 0.487) and increased internal pain locus of control while decreasing chance and physician locus of control. Qualitative accounts indicated pain reconceptualization and greater self-management confidence. |
Abstract
Background: The added value of mindfulness-based strategies for chronic painful temporomandibular disorders (TMD) remains unclear.
Objectives: To evaluate an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Orofacial Pain Education Program added to conventional care.
Methods: This mixed-methods quasi-experimental controlled study included 53 adults receiving conventional care plus the program (n = 30) or conventional care alone (n = 23). Outcomes were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models, and focus-group data using reflexive thematic analysis.
Results: No group-by-time interaction was found for the primary outcome (WHOQOL-BREF psychological domain; β = 0.165; 95% CI, -0.113-0.442; p = .244) or most secondary outcomes. The intervention improved the environmental quality-of-life domain (β = 0.487; p = .002), increased internal pain locus of control (p = .009), and decreased chance (p = .040) and physician locus of control (p = .032). Qualitative findings indicated pain reconceptualization and greater self-management confidence. .
Conclusions: The program did not improve most clinical outcomes but fostered perceived pain control and engagement in self-management beyond symptom reduction.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |
Citations in the library
Cites 5
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mindfulness-Based Orofacial Pain Education and Management Program: A Qualitative Analysis of Transgender Participants' Perceptions. Special care in dentistry : official publication of the American Association of Hospital Dentists, the Academy of Dentistry for the Handicapped, and the American Society for Geriatric Dentistry 2026
- Impact of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Pain and Psychological Factors in Women With Chronic Painful Temporomandibular Disorders. Journal of oral rehabilitation December 1, 2025
- Mindfulness and pain catastrophization: how are they associated in women with chronic painful temporomandibular disorder (TMD)? Cranio : the journal of craniomandibular practice January 2025
- Feasibility and Acceptability of an Abbreviated, Four-Week Mindfulness Program for Chronic Pain Management. Pain Medicine September 8, 2020