What does TMJ stand for, and what does this condition entail? TMJ is also known as Temporomandibular Joint syndrome, and it is pain that you might feel in the joint that connects your jaw to your skull.
Some people who experience discomfort with TMJ will feel hidden symptoms internally, while others will be able to hear their jaws clicking while chewing. It is estimated that around 10 million people experience a TMJ disorder and over half of those affected are female.
Although it’s sometimes difficult to determine exactly where the TMJ discomfort came from, the positive news is that there are usually easier solutions to manage pain than having surgery. A physical therapist who specializes in manual therapy is a great resource to use when feeling discomfort to help guide the patient to reduce and manage pain.
There are a variety of symptoms one may feel when experiencing pain in the jaw. Each person is different and may experience discomfort. Some of these symptoms include:
As previously stated, you may have sensitivity and pain in your temporomandibular joint if you’ve been injured in that area. Additionally, if you’re a teeth grinder at night or repeatedly clench your jaw, stress may be to blame for the formation of TMJ pain. Any repetitive stress to the jaw can create TMJ such as: nail biting, constant gum chewing or misalignment of your teeth that create abnormal stress to your jaw joints.
Our physical therapists are committed to serving each patient with a high-quality hands-on experience designed to understand the patient as a whole. The first thing we want to accomplish in a visit is an examination of the individual. When it comes to TMJ, it’s imperative that we pay special attention to our patient’s posture and upper neck as these all play a role in stiffness to this joint. This includes learning about the patient’s medical background and any injuries that may have occurred. When it comes to TMJ, as with 95% of our patients, we will use our manual therapy approach to get right to the source of the issue.
Our manual therapy approach to TMJ includes hands on techniques to improve joint motion and reduce muscle stiffness and trigger points around the jaw. This will help to alleviate stress on the disk and joint inside the jaw. After analyzing the stressed area, our therapists are able to reduce pain when a patient feels like their jaw is locked. We will introduce specific exercises to restore motion at the jaw and re-train those muscles around the joint. Our physical therapists will also utilize soft tissue mobilization techniques to carefully decrease trigger points and tender spots in the jaw area.
Results Physiotherapy also specializes in Trigger Point Dry Needling, which is when a needle is inserted through the skin and into the muscle aimed to release any pain or muscle spasms within the myofascial trigger points. This treatment allows for the deep tissue in the muscle to relax which decreased pain and increase mobility.
If you’ve experienced pain in your TMJ, don’t hesitate to make an appointment with one of our physical therapy clinics near you. Our therapists are here to help you increase joint mobility and get back to living pain free!
