How do the mindfulness and sensory-behavioural-emotional aspects influence the painful experience related to temporomandibular disorder?

Background: Chronic pain is persistent or recurrent pain lasting longer than 3 months. The experience of temporomandibular disorder (TMD)-related pain is modulated by emotional and social factors, with mindfulness encapsulating these aspects.

Objective: To investigate the association between cognitive-behavioural-emotional characteristics, mindfulness and the painful experience in women with chronic pain-related TMD.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, including 90 women aged between 18 and 61 years old, diagnosed with chronic pain-related TMD according to the Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorder, considering both temporomandibular joint and muscle pain. Specific instruments were employed to assess cognitive-behavioural-emotional aspects. The Mindful Attention Awareness Scale and the Five Facets of Mindfulness Questionnaire scales evaluated the level and construct of mindfulness. The relationship between variables was analysed using bivariate association tests (.05 > p < .20), followed by multiple regression tests (p < .05).

Results: The heightened experience of pain correlated with increasing age, a low level of education, the attribution of the locus of control by chance, and lower levels of mindfulness (p < .05). The heightened experience of pain was negatively influenced by mindfulness levels (p < .05). On the other hand, the painful experience was mainly influenced by facets describing negative formulation, distraction, non-reactivity and non-judgement (p < .05).

Conclusion: Demographic, cognitive-behavioural-emotional data and levels of mindfulness and its facets presented different influence weights on the painful experience. These findings provide support for future studies focusing on mindfulness strategies, education and pain management in women with chronic pain-related TMD.