New directions in the management of chronic pain: Self-regulation theory as a model for integrative clinical psychology practice

The next generation of empirically derived clinical health psychology involves use of self-regulation theory for understanding and treating chronic pain. Temporomandibular disorders serve as a model to illustrate how increasing self-regulatory strength facilitates small, behavioral changes that positively influence the underlying physiological factors known to be important in the etiology and maintenance of chronic pain conditions. For individuals with chronic temporomandibular disorders, physical self-regulation is an integrative clinical health psychology intervention that decreases both physical and psychological symptoms via improvements in self-regulatory strength and autonomic nervous system regulation. Suggestions for the application of self-regulation to other chronic pain disorders and future research directions are provided.

Research highlights► Biopsychosocial treatments for temporomandibular disorders have limited support. ► ANS dysregulation may underlie the major components of temporomandibular disorders. ► Self-regulation is a new model for understanding and treating chronic pain.