What is TMJ JOINT
The temporo-mandibular joint, or TMJ, acts like a sliding hinge, connecting your jawbone to your skull.
The jaw is one of our most used body parts – it is involved with eating, talking, breathing and, probably most importantly, expressing our feelings and emotions. This doesn’t even include its extra uses as a gum chewer, extra hand, head rest and bottle-opener.
Because of its importance, and the stressors to which it is exposed, things can go wrong, and it can hurt. So what is happening here?
TMJ Disorders
Patients with TMJ problems often complain of jaw, head or facial pain, jaw clicking, stiffness or locking, chipped or worn teeth, headaches, ringing in the ears, jaw weakness, and problems with chewing, singing, or nocturnal teeth grinding/ clenching. Often, the patient will also have discomfort in surrounding areas such as the neck, and as such – they are treated together!
Symptoms of TMJ Disorders
- Pain or tenderness of the jaw
- Headache
- Facial pain
- Ear pain, ringing in the ear
- Dizziness
- Difficulty in chewing
- Locking of the jaw
- Clicking sound or grating sensation when opening the mouth or chewing
How Will Physio Help me ?
We have expert TMJ physio’s in our team. We understand that each person is an individual, requiring their own recovery treatment program. We also recognise that jaw pain is multifactorial, and can assess whether the TMJs are dysfunctional, if the pain is due to external muscular issues, neural sensitivity, a neck problem, or in most cases a combination.
What treatment techniques will be used?
Treatment is often based on individual situations, but some common treatment techniques used are
- Mobilisation of the joint
- Massage to the muscles of the jaw
- Neck treatment, as mostly your neck is part of the problem
- Dry Needling
- Heat
- Home exercises and stretching
- Possible referral to a dentist to be fitted with an occlusion splint
- Advice on good posture
- Advice on good sleeping positions and pillows.
For more information give our friendly team a call.