Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Managing Painful Temporomandibular Joint Disorders -A Systematic Review of Randomized Clinical Studies

Background Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) can be challenging to treat due to associated comorbid conditions and psychological factors. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a psychotherapeutic intervention that uses a goal-oriented systematic approach and has been successful in managing many chronic pain conditions. This study aimed to systematically review CBT’s effectiveness in managing TMD.Methods A comprehensive unrestricted search of indexed databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was performed up to and including May 2024, focusing on the application of CBT in the treatment of TMDs. The Cochrane risk of bias tool for interventions assessed the risk of bias across individual studies. Of the initial 154 articles searched, 9 RCTs met the selection criteria. The quality assessment of included studies was done using the Jadad scoring.Results CBT was found to be beneficial in reducing pain and psychological impairment in TMD patients. This improved masticatory jaw use limitations, pain beliefs, catastrophizing, and pain coping. One study reported that CBT might enhance function recovery in myofascial pain patients with limited opening and posture correction.Conclusion The study analysis suggested CBT may reduce damaging thought patterns and cognitive difficulties and be used with the standard treatment of TMDs. Future standardized RCTs should be conducted to validate the results of the included studies in reducing pain intensity in TMD and orofacial pain patients.