How Can Physio Help With My Jaw Pain: What TMJ Physiotherapy is and How it Can Help
Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders are a group of conditions that affect the jaw joint and the muscles that control its movement. It can result in pain, stiffness, clicking or popping sounds, and difficulty opening or closing the mouth. As a physiotherapist, I have worked with many patients suffering from TMJ problems and seen the devastating impact it can have on quality of life. From talking to eating, laughing to sleeping, TMJ problems can disrupt your ability to perform basic daily tasks. A TMJ physiotherapist can assess the issues and figure out a plan to help you recover. This plan may include a combination of education, exercise, and manual therapy. In this blog, we are going to explore how TMJ physiotherapy can help you if you are experiencing jaw pain.
What is the TMJ?
The TMJ is the joint that connects the mandible (lower jaw bone) to the skull. The joint is located just in front of the ear on each side of the head. Inside the joint, there is a disc of cartilage that acts as a cushion and allows for smooth movement of the jaw. Normally, when you open your mouth the mandible and the disc move forward together, and when you close your mouth they move backward together. This action is controlled by a group of muscles, including the masseter, temporalis, and lateral and medial pterygoid muscles. These muscles work together to move the jaw in various directions.
What Are Temporomandibular Joint Disorders?
Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMDs) are a group of issues that affect the TMJ joint, the muscles that move the jaw, and/or the other structures around the jaw. Depending on the person and their symptoms, there are different types of issues that can affect the jaw.
Issues with the disc often cause clicking on opening or closing of the jaw.
If the muscles that move the jaw are too tight, they can cause pain, headaches and jaw clicking. In extreme cases, they can limit the opening of the jaw and make it difficult to eat, talk, or yawn.
Age-related changes in the joint can cause discomfort and changes in motion.
Hypermobility in the joint can cause sensitivity and pain in the jaw.
Your TMJ physical therapist will work with you to determine the cause, as well as a treatment plan to help you get back to your normal activities!
Assessment Of the TMJ: Why Does My Jaw Hurt?
The first step in treating the TMJ is for a TMJ physiotherapist to assess your symptoms and determine the underlying cause. During an assessment, your physical therapist will work through your symptoms with you to figure out what is happening in your jaw. They will also explore your habits and take an overall look at your health to determine underlying factors contributing to your jaw pain. Once the underlying factors are identified, a personalized treatment plan will be developed for you.
Risk Factors For TMJ Disorders
There are a variety of risk factors for TMJ disorders. Some of the most common risk factors of TMJ disorder include:
Jaw clenching
Teeth grinding
Nail-biting
Trauma to the jaw or face (ex. whiplash & concussion)
Arthritis
Psychological factors (ex. anxiety, depression or stress)
Posture
An improper bite (ex. Missing teeth, overbite or underbite, missing teeth)
Female gender ( TMD is 5x more common in women)
General ligament laxity / hypermobility
Physio Treatment For Jaw Pain: How A Physiotherapist Can Help Reduce Your TMJ Pain
The goal of physiotherapy for the TMJ is to reduce pain, improve jaw mobility and restore normal function to the jaw. There are several techniques that can be used to achieve these goals.
Education For Jaw Pain
As a physiotherapist, I work with my patients to identify and modify any habits or behaviours that may be contributing to their TMJ disorder. This can include habits like jaw clenching, teeth grinding and biting nails. By identifying and modifying these habits, patients can reduce the stress on their jaw joint and improve their overall jaw function.
In the short term, we may have to alter habits such as eating only soft foods, eating food that does not require the mouth opening wide, limiting talking, or changing the way we yawn. These changes reduce the stress on the jaw and help reduce jaw pain.
We also provide education and resources around posture, jaw positioning, stress management and mental health. When your posture is off, it can impact the functioning of your jaw muscles and the way your jaw moves. This puts increased stress on some parts of the jaw. In addition, when our stress is high it is more likely that we increase jaw clenching, which can be a factor in the development of TMD. Education in these areas is key to managing your jaw pain.
Manual Therapy For TMJ pain
One of the most common techniques used in TMJ physiotherapy is manual therapy. Manual therapy involves the use of hands-on techniques to mobilize the jaw joint. Manual therapy can help desensitize the TMJ, helping to improve pain, range of motion and function.
Exercise Therapy For Jaw Pain
Another technique that can be used is exercise therapy. Specific exercises are prescribed to help relax the muscles around the jaw, while other exercises work to strengthen the muscles that control the jaw. These exercises can include jaw-opening and closing and side-to-side exercises, resistance exercises, and stretching exercises. The exercises you do will depend on your specific type of TMJ disorder.
Conclusion
TMJ disorder can be a debilitating condition that can greatly impact a person’s quality of life. TMJ Physiotherapy can be an effective treatment option for managing this condition. By using a combination of manual therapy, exercise therapy, and other modalities, TMJ physical therapists can help reduce pain, improve jaw mobility, and restore normal function to the jaw muscles. If you are suffering from TMJ disorder, I would highly recommend seeking the help of a qualified TMJ physiotherapist to help you manage your condition.
If you have any questions or are interested in learning more please call us, email us, or book an appointment online here! We look forward to working with you!
