Targeted light therapy for jaw pain (TMD)
Official title: Photobiomodulation for the management of Temporomandibular disorder pain
Funded at University of Florida · NIH-11382371 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses targeted light therapy to try to reduce jaw pain in adults with temporomandibular disorder.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Gainesville, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2022 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $151,803 |
| NIH project number | 3UH3DE030433-04S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11382371 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults 18 and older with temporomandibular disorder who report moderate or greater pain (≥30 on a 0–100 scale) and who meet the study's medication and treatment timing rules are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who recently had facial trauma or surgery, are in active orthodontic treatment, recently received injection therapy for pain, started new daily prescription pain medication within 30 days, or had psychiatric hospitalization in the past year are excluded and would not benefit from participating.
What this research studies
You would join a double-blind, randomized comparison where neither you nor the treating staff know if you receive real or sham photobiomodulation (PBM) light therapy. The study plans to enroll 130 adults with TMD pain, using phone screening, a pre-randomization visit, eight treatment visits, and one post-treatment visit. Researchers will track your pain levels, pain sensitivity, and markers of inflammation before and after the treatment course. Participants are recruited via community advertisements and must meet eligibility rules about recent medications, injections, dental treatments, and recent psychiatric hospitalization.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could offer a non-drug way to reduce chronic jaw pain from TMD.
How similar studies have gone: Smaller clinical trials of photobiomodulation for TMD have shown mixed but sometimes positive results, and this larger double-blind, sham-controlled trial aims to provide clearer evidence.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Florida
Gainesville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ribeiro-Dasilva, Margarete C — University of Florida
- Study coordinator: Ribeiro-Dasilva, Margarete C
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Photobiomodulation for jaw pain from TMD
A clinician-scientist at the University of Florida is testing a light-based therapy to help adults with temporomandibular disorder pain feel better and jaw function improve.
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Female-specific trigeminal dynorphin role in TMD and migraine overlap
This grant studies why women with jaw pain (TMD) often have migraines and looks for female-focused targets to treat both conditions.
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Photobiomodulation for jaw pain from TMD
A study tests a light-based therapy to help adults with temporomandibular disorder reduce jaw pain without drugs.
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Light Therapy for Jaw Pain
This project is exploring if a special type of light therapy, called photobiomodulation, can help adults who experience chronic pain from temporomandibular disorder (TMD).
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Understanding jaw pain and migraine in women
This project looks for new ways to treat jaw pain (TMD) and migraine headaches, especially in women.
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Investigating the role of a specific protein in pain related to jaw disorders and migraines in women
This study is looking at how jaw pain from temporomandibular disorders (TMD) might be linked to migraine headaches in women, and it hopes to find new ways to help relieve that pain by exploring a specific protein involved in both conditions.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.