Who can take part?

  • You may be eligible to participate if you:

    • Are 18 years of age or greater.

    • Have had jaw muscle pain (myalgia Temporomandibular Disorder [m-TMD]) for 3 months or more

    • Exercises and advice haven’t helped your pain

    • Can answer “Yes” to both of the following two questions:

      1.Do you have pain in your temple, face, jaw or jaw joint once a week or more?

      2.Do you have pain once a week or more when you open your mouth or chew?

  • Participation involves 36 weeks of treatment with either:

    1. Daily medication: Amitriptyline (Antidepressant) or Gabapentin (Anti-epileptic)

      OR

    2. ‍ An injectable treatment to the sore muscles every twelve weeks. Either lidocaine (numbing injection like at the dentist) OR Botox®.

    You’ll complete questionnaires a maximum of 4-5 times over 36 weeks and attend up to 5 in-person or virtual visits for check-ups or injection treatment.

    Reasonable travel expenses up to a total of £27/visit will be reimbursed. We will have 12 sites across England, Wales & Scotland where we can perform the trial.

Where can I take part?

The trial is being led by Chief Investigator Professor Justin Durham of Newcastle University and The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The trial is currently recruiting from the following locations across the UK, shown alongside their clinical leads:

  • Bristol - Dr Mark Gormley

  • Cardiff - Dr Charlotte Emanuel

  • Dundee - Professor Michaelina Macluskey (closed to recruitment)

  • Glasgow - Dr Kurt Naudi

  • Leeds - Mr Alasdair McKechnie

  • Liverpool - Dr Francis O’Neill

  • London - QMUL - Dr Eleni Besi

  • Middlesbrough - Mr Chris Bridle

  • Newcastle upon Tyne - Dr Rachel Green

  • Sheffield - Dr Claire Wilson

  • Sunderland - Mr Michael Nugent

A site in Manchester is expected to open in 2026.

No matter where you live, please only email the study's central site at nuth.mitigate@nhs.net - you will then be directed to the appropriate site team.

If you’d like to ask questions or self-refer for an eligibility assessment, please email nuth.mitigate@nhs.net with your name, age, and your nearest major town.