Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The Effects of Exercise Therapy for the Improvement of Jaw Movement and Psychological Intervention to Reduce Parafunctional Activities on Chronic Pain in the Craniocervical Region.
Apparent organic abnormalities are sometimes not identified among patients suffering from chronic pain in the craniocervical region. In some cases, parafunctional activities (PAs) are recognized. PAs are nonfunctional oromandibular activities that include jaw clenching and bruxism, but are considered as factors that contribute to craniomandibular disorders (CMDs). It is now recognized that PAs and CMDs influence musculoskeletal conditions of the upper quarter. Exercise therapy (ET) to improve jaw movement and psychological intervention (PI) to reduce PAs are useful for PAs and CMDs. We hypothesized that ET and PI would be effective for craniocervical pain without organic abnormalities. ⋯ A combination of jaw exercise and psychological intervention to reduce parafunctional activities is more effective than jaw exercise alone for the improvement of craniocervical pain without apparent organic abnormalities.