Why should I See an All Care TMJ Physio for my Jaw Pain?
Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain is a condition that affects the small joints that join the mandible (jaw bone) to the skull. TMJ pain or dysfunction can be a very painful or debilitating condition because it affects our basic functions of opening our mouth to eat, yawn or grind food.This condition is more common in women than men.
Pain is felt either at the site of the jaw joints just in front of the ears or along the muscles of the jaw. Common other symptoms apart from pain are clicking, locking or feelings of your jaw not opening in a straight direction.
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Your All Care Physiotherapists are trained to assess the underlying cause of your TMJ pain and address appropriate treatment to put you on the right path to recovery.
Common causes of TMJ pain are direct trauma from a blow to the jaw or microtrauma from grinding or clenching your teeth repetitively. Signs of TMJ pain are pain with opening, biting, yawning, or hearing a click with these movements.
Our specialized All Care assessment will look at all the factors that cause your TMJ pain by looking at your jaw movements and assessing your jaw muscle function to formulate a plan to rehabilitate your jaw back to full function.
Our assessment will often reveal that some of the muscles are tight or overused and others inhibited as well as specific joint restrictions that result in movement abnormalities.Unfortunately, people who suffer from TMJ pain often have associated neck pain as well and this is why we always assess this region as well and treatappropriately.
We aim to help our clients in the long term, so our treatment plan includes the right advice, education and exercises to help you recover and manage this condition in the long term.
YourAll Care Treatment Planto improve your TMJ pain will include:
- Muscle releases of the common overactive muscles that cause pain.
- Specific joint mobilisations to help improve your jaw range
- Postural correction and retraining to provide long term relief of strain on your TMJ
- Dry needling for the tight overactive muscles
- Specific corrective exercises
- Ways to decrease tension in the overactive jaw muscles that will reduce the stresses on your TMJ long term
- Ultrasound to settle joint or muscle inflammation.
- Specific advice and education on how best to manage your jaw with everyday life.
Liaison with your Dentist if this is required for splint therapy.