Jaw and TMJ Disorders

Can a physiotherapist help with my Jaw/TMJ pain?

You may struggle with sudden, or long-lasting jaw/facial pain and headaches that comes and goes, but you cannot find a reason.

Maybe it’s time to consult a physiotherapist. We will do a holistic evaluation to find the problem.

What is the TMJ (Temporomandibular joint)?

This is the joint between your lower jaw and your scull, just Infront of your ear.

You have one on each side of your head and it helps you to speak, eat, yawn etc.

To describe a variety of jaw problems is TMD (Temporomandibular disorders)

Some of these problems include

· Pain in the jaw.

· Struggling to fully open your mouth.

· Clicking, locking sounds in the joints.

· Headaches.

· Difficulty and pain with chewing.

· Ear and teeth pain including ringing in the ear.

Common causes of TMD includes:

· Trauma (Direct blow to the jaw and indirect, like a whiplash.

· Grinding, clenching of the teeth.

· Cartlidge degeneration of the joint.

· Arthritis

· Gender (Woman between puberty and menopause are more prone to TMJ disorders.

· Male: Female ratio 1:4

How can physiotherapy help?

We use different treatment techniques to help reduce the pain and inflammation in the joint so that the function and movement of the joint can improve.

Treatment may include

· Posture correction.

· Jaw exercises (Rocabado exercises)

· Massage, joint mobilisation and stretches.

· Laser and ultrasound.

· Relaxation techniques and stress management.

Which movements to avoid when these problems occur?

· Excessive chewing like your nails, chewing gum and pen cups.

· Yawning unnecessarily

· Holding your phone between your ear and shoulder.

· Resting your jaw in your hand.

· Taking large bites of certain fruit like apples.

· Chewy meals like steak and biltong.

We work together with dentists and orthodontists to give you the best possible solutions.

We can help with an exercise program at home that suit your unique needs so that you can manage your pain and improve your standards of daily living.

Feel free to contact us to help you feel better.