Shamanic Healing for Women With Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMDs)

NCT ID: NCT00071474

Last Updated: 2007-01-24

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: PHASE1
• Total Enrollment: 25 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2003-08-31
• Study Completion Date: 2005-05-31

Brief Summary

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

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.

Conditions

Temporomandibular Disorders

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NON_RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Interventions

shamanic healing

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

Eligibility 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

• Minimum Eligible Age: 25 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 55 Years
• Eligible Sex: FEMALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

NIH

Sponsor Role: lead

Principal Investigators

Nancy Vuckovic, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Center for Health Research, Northwest

Locations

Center for Health Research, Northwest

Portland, Oregon, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

R21AT000951-01A2

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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