Evaluating Osteopathic Manual Therapy for Temporomandibular Disorders in Adults with Fibromyalgia

What this Trial Is About

Fibromyalgia is a rheumatic disorder known for significantly reducing quality of life, and it often occurs alongside temporomandibular disorders. This study is designed as a randomized clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a specific osteopathic manual therapy approach algorithm in patients who have both fibromyalgia and temporomandibular disorders. The trial aims to assess how this therapy impacts symptoms and function in this patient group. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group will receive osteopathic manual therapy using articulatory techniques, soft tissue mobilization, and trigger point inhibition based on a validated treatment algorithm. The other group will undergo a sham treatment designed to simulate these techniques without therapeutic effect. This single-masked approach will help measure the true effect of the osteopathic therapy over a treatment period lasting six weeks. During the study, participants will be evaluated at enrollment and throughout treatment for several outcomes, including catastrophizing, functional limitation, disability, pain, tinnitus, myofascial trigger points, and range of motion. These assessments will occur from enrollment to four or six weeks depending on the measure. The trial includes monitoring the participants progress and response to therapy over this period to gather comprehensive data on the therapys impact.

An Algorithm for Approaching Temporomandibular Disorders With Osteopathic Manual Therapy in Patients With Fibromyalgia