Don’t Let TMJ Ruin Your Day! Get the Help You Deserve
Hearing and feeling your jaw click isn’t comforting. On the contrary, it can be downright painful. Yet it is a constant reality for over 10 million Americans, who suffer from temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders (TMJ).
TMJ is marked by chronic jaw pain, difficulty chewing, and clicking and locking of the jaw. Many people with the disorder also experience frequent headaches, pain in their face or mouth, joint crackling, and muscle spasms.
The temporomandibular joint is a hinge that attaches the jaw to the temporal bones of the skull, which are located in front of the ears. This joint allows movement of the jaw back and forth and up and down, ushering in the ability to talk, yawn, and eat. When the functioning of this part of the body is hindered, it can make everyday activities difficult. At Joint Restoration Center, our physical therapists will get to the root of the issue and provide a personalized treatment plan to get you on the path to relief!
Causes of TMJ
Surprisingly little is known about temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders. Medical professionals do not know what causes the disorder, although there are several potential reasons it can develop. Some of these include:
- injury to the jaw, neck, or joint
- arthritis in the joint
- grinding or clenching of teeth, which leads to tremendous pressure on the joints
- stress, which results in a tightening of the jaw
- movement of the soft cushion between the ball and socket of the joint.
Diagnosis
A diagnosis is usually made after a physical exam and health history review. The doctor or dentist will examine the jaw joints for clicking, popping, and tenderness, followed by a look at whether the jaw opens and closes as it should. An x-ray may be ordered to rule out other concerns, while an MRI or CT scan can provide a closer look at the positioning and bony details.
How Physical Therapy can help
At your first appointment with Joint Restoration Center, a thorough examination of your neck, shoulders, and thoracic spine will be performed to determine whether those structures are causing your symptoms.
Once the root cause of your problem has been discovered, a comprehensive plan can be developed to quickly relieve your pain and restore natural movement to your temporomandibular joint. Furthermore, our physical therapists and nurse practitioners will teach you techniques for regaining normal jaw movement for long-lasting results.
The focus of physical therapy and other supporting treatments for TMJ is relaxation, stretching, and releasing tight muscles and scar tissue. In most cases, physical therapy combined with supporting treatments such as trigger point injections can resolve TMJ and prevent the need for surgery.
However, in cases where surgery is absolutely necessary, physical therapy is a vital part of the recovery process, as it helps minimize scar tissue formation, decrease muscle tightness, and allow for a complete recovery.
Your recovery plan may involve a range of procedures and modalities, such as jaw exercises, soft tissue massage, joint mobilization, myofascial methods, electrical stimulation, trigger point injections, and ultrasound. Your PT will also work with you on improving your posture as well since this can contribute to TMJ-related pain.
Give us a call today
If you’re living with jaw pain and discomfort, it’s worth calling Joint Restoration Center in Tulsa, OK, to set up an appointment to have your condition assessed. On the chance that TMJ disorder is the culprit, our physical therapists and nurse practitioners will do everything in their power to give you the pain relief you deserve and help you to experience less discomfort when you’re talking, chewing, yawning, etc.
What are you waiting for? Relief is a call away, so reach out today to set up an appointment!
Sources:
https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/oralhealth/topics/tmj/tmjdisorders.htm
https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/temporomandibular-disorders-tmd#1
