Peloid Therapy in Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Local Peloid Therapy.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Temporomandibular Disorders (TMDs), Pain, Otalgia. Basic parameters: 18 years — 65 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Turkey (Türkiye)
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →
Official title
The Effect of Peloid Therapy on Pain and Functional Outcomes in Patients With Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction
Overview
This prospective, single-group clinical study will evaluate whether local peloid therapy improves pain and jaw function in adults with temporomandibular joint dysfunction. Participants will receive peloid therapy applied to the temporomandibular joint region and masticatory muscles for 20 minutes per session, 5 days per week, for 2 weeks. Pain and functional outcomes will be measured at baseline and at the end of treatment using validated clinical scales, including the Jaw Functional Limitation Scale-8, visual analog scale pain scores, Fonseca index, maximum mouth opening, and secondary otalgia assessment.
Detailed description
Temporomandibular joint dysfunction is associated with pain, impaired chewing, restricted jaw function, and, in some patients, referred otalgia. Conservative treatment options are commonly used as first-line management, but the clinical evidence for some physical therapy modalities remains limited.
Peloid therapy is a local thermotherapeutic intervention used in balneotherapy and physical medicine. It may provide analgesic and muscle-relaxing effects through superficial heat and local tissue responses. However, prospective data evaluating its clinical effect in temporomandibular joint dysfunction are limited.
This study is designed to assess changes in jaw-related functional limitation and pain after a standardized 2-week course of local peloid therapy in adults diagnosed with temporomandibular joint dysfunction. Functional status, pain intensity, mouth opening, symptom severity, and secondary otalgia will be assessed before and after treatment using standardized clinical measures.
The study may provide additional evidence on the role of peloid therapy as a conservative supportive treatment option for temporomandibular joint dysfunction.
Interventions
- Other Local Peloid Therapy
Participants will receive local peloid therapy applied externally over the temporomandibular joint region and adjacent masticatory muscles. The treatment will be delivered as 10 sessions over 2 weeks, with 5 sessions per week. Each session will last 20 minutes. Peloid therapy will be administered by a trained investigator according to the study protocol.
Primary outcome measures
- Change in Jaw Function Score at Week 2 [Time frame: Baseline and Week 2]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Age between 18 and 65 years
- Diagnosis of temporomandibular joint dysfunction based on DC/TMD criteria
- Presence of TMJ-related pain for at least 4 weeks
- Baseline pain intensity ≥3 on a 0-10 visual analog scale
- Ability to provide written informed consent
Exclusion criteria
- History of temporomandibular joint trauma, tumor, active infection, or acute inflammation
- Previous temporomandibular joint surgery
- Presence of systemic inflammatory rheumatologic disease
- Pregnancy
- Open wound, active dermatitis, or skin condition preventing peloid application at the treatment site
- Injection therapy (e.g., botulinum toxin) or regular physical therapy for TMJ within the past 3 months
- Any clinical or behavioral condition that may interfere with study compliance
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- N/A
- Model
- Single group
- Masking
- Open label
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
Study locations
Turkey (Türkiye) · 1 center
- Uşak University Faculty of Medicine — Uşak
Publications
- Sun R, Liu T, Liu Y, Zhang S, Yue Y, Jiang N, Zhang L, Xiong X. Simplified Jaw Functional Limitation Scale for Temporomandibular Disorders: Psychometric Evaluation. Oral Dis. 2025 Jun;31(6):1854-1860. doi: 10.1111/odi.15253. Epub 2025 Jan 10. PMID 39791447
- Schiffman E, Ohrbach R, Truelove E, Look J, Anderson G, Goulet JP, List T, Svensson P, Gonzalez Y, Lobbezoo F, Michelotti A, Brooks SL, Ceusters W, Drangsholt M, Ettlin D, Gaul C, Goldberg LJ, Haythornthwaite JA, Hollender L, Jensen R, John MT, De Laat A, de Leeuw R, Maixner W, van der Meulen M, Murray GM, Nixdorf DR, Palla S, Petersson A, Pionchon P, Smith B, Visscher CM, Zakrzewska J, Dworkin SF PMID 24482784
- Ramazani F, Szalay-Anderson C, Batista AV, Park P, Hwang E, Chau J, Lui J. Referred otalgia: Common causes and evidence-based strategies for assessment and management. Can Fam Physician. 2023 Nov;69(11):757-761. doi: 10.46747/cfp.6911757. PMID 37963787
- Kuttila SJ, Kuttila MH, Niemi PM, Le Bell YB, Alanen PJ, Suonpaa JT. Secondary otalgia in an adult population. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2001 Apr;127(4):401-5. doi: 10.1001/archotol.127.4.401. PMID 11296048
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07576582 · PT-TMJ