A comunicação da dor: Um estudo sobre as narrativas dos impactos da disfunção temporomandibular

Abstract

In the field of health there has been an increasing interest in carrying out research relating pain to quality of life. However, many studies of this nature are primarily quantitative analyses. Accordingly, there is a need to develop methods of study that focus on the perspective of the individual and promote a better understanding of the experience of suffering. This paper set out to study the narratives of individuals with Temporomandibular Disorder related to the impact of pain on social, leisure and family activities. It was a qualitative and exploratory study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, recorded, and subsequently transcribed to constitute the corpus of this project. The discussion of the results was based on content analysis. The results showed that overall impacts of the pain caused by Temporomandibular Disorder on the individual's life concern predominantly leisure and work. Specific impacts include chewing, yawning, practising oral hygiene, smiling and speaking.