TMJ and Jaw Pain

It’s very common, painful, can be extremely debilitating and even lead to headache/migraine pain. Yet there are now a range of simple treatments which Specialist Physiotherapists can use to alleviate this problem, enabling your patients to open wide again!

During your Physiotherapy assessment:

We find out the physical reasons for bruxing / clenching and bracing your jaw
We look at:

• Your Jaw/TMJ biomechanics
• Jaw opening
• Sideways jaw movement on opening and closing
• Reasons for jaw clicking (often Disc problems)
• The role of your neck in tightening your jaw muscles (through nerves)
• Posture and its role in jaw pain
• Discussion of life stresses which increase neck and jaw muscle tone

Treatment
Tight muscles in the face and neck are often the main culprits of pain in TMJs/Jaws. When these muscles become stiff, they pull on the joints and can change the direction of movement of the jaw joint. One side of the jaw is usually tighter so the jaw joints (which should move in a hinge fashion) are pulled lopsidedly and strain both sides of the jaw- often pain is felt in one side, at the beginning.

Your Physiotherapist will usually use release techniques on the muscles of the jaw, face and neck- whatever we find is relating to your problem.

The next step is to find out why the muscles have tightened up- the joints of the neck often cause these muscles to spasm so we work on releasing the joints which are stiff and tight. Posture can contribute significantly to the overall problem, particularly if you sit with your chin poking forward, so we help you to tackle this too. Many of the structures we treat can also spark off migraines and headaches so treatment to the jaw, face and neck combat many other problems which relate to Jaw pain.

Acupuncture and advice re heat and relaxation are useful to help prevent increased muscle tone between treatments, and you must stop chewing gum as this will increase the tightness in the muscles we are trying to release.

This is a complex joint and is often dealt with poorly. Treatment for Jaws/TMJs demand a multifaceted approach which often includes Physiotherapists working with Dentists, Psychologists & Counsellors, and the results can be amazing.

TMJ dysfunction is distressing for the patient, so a full explanation of the cause of their pain and what they can do to help their condition is undertaken. Oral habits that contribute to the propagate your pain are discussed to improve the overall outcome.

Dental splints are valuable in improving the TMJ’s position hence reduce stresses in the jaw. This is especially true at night when bruxing may undo the hard work of the therapist and patient during the day.

To find out more about treatment, contact The Edinburgh Physiotherapy Centre on 0131 556 1116 and speak with one of our specialist TMJ physiotherapists.

TMj

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