Long-term outcomes of shamanic treatment for temporomandibular joint disorders

BACKGROUND: Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs) are chronic, often refractory, pain conditions affecting the jaw and face. Patients least likely to respond to allopathic treatment have the most marked biologic responsiveness to external stressors and concomitant psychosocial and emotional difficulties. From a shamanic healing perspective, this describes individuals who are thought to be "dispirited" and may benefit from this ancient form of spiritual healing. OBJECTIVE: To report on the long-term quantitative and qualitative outcomes relative to end-of-treatment status of a phase I study that evaluated the feasibility and efficacy of shamanic healing for people with TMDs. METHODS/DESIGN: Participants were contacted by telephone at one, three, six, and nine months after treatment and asked to report pain and disability outcomes and qualitative feedback. SETTING: Portland, OR. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-three women aged 25 to 55 years diagnosed with TMD. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Participants rated their TMD-related pain and disability (on the TMD Research Diagnostic Criteria Axis II Pain Related Disability and Psychological Status Scale) at each follow-up call and were asked to describe their condition qualitatively. RESULTS: Improvements in usual pain, worst pain, and functional impairment reported at end of treatment did not change during the 9 months after treatment ended (p > 0.18). CONCLUSION: Shamanic healing had lasting effects on TMDs in this small cohort of women.