Objectives: Chronic pain in the orofacial region affects 10%–15% of the general population. It is most often related to temporomandibular disorders (TMD): pain in the masticatory muscles and the temporomandibular joints. Managing chronic pain conditions requires a biopsychosocial, evidence‐based and patient‐centred approach. Accordingly, self‐management has been advocated for TMD. This umbrella review aimed to evaluate existing evidence in systematic reviews (SRs) on self‐management therapy for TMD.

Methods: The review was carried out in accordance with the PRISMA and PRIOR guidelines, with a pre‐registered protocol (PROSPERO CRD42021276856). PubMed, Scopus, LILACS and the Cochrane Library were searched until December 1st 2023 to identify SRs that evaluated self‐management for TMD. Two independent reviewers screened titles and abstracts, performed full‐text assessments, extracted all data and performed risk of bias assessment with AMSTAR 2.

Results: A total of 1740 studies were identified. After title and abstract screening, 399 studies underwent full‐text assessment and 11 SRs comprising 49 unique primary studies were included. Of these, six SRs reported favorable results for self‐management for TMD, whereas five reported insufficient evidence either for or against the use of self‐management compared to other interventions. The overlap of primary studies between the SRs was 53%, and the main evidence gaps were related to quality of life and adverse effects outcomes. The methodological shortcomings of the SRs primarily stem from insufficient primary‐study design criteria or not providing references for excluded studies.

Conclusions: Existing evidence generally suggests beneficial effects from self‐management strategies such as patient education, behavioural therapy and jaw exercises.