Do you get headaches or grind your teeth as you sleep? Does your jaw click when you open or close your mouth, resulting in pain? Forget about ordering the meatball sub for lunch, right? Or maybe not. Did you know that often the problem has to do with the Temporomandibular joint of your jaw? A hinge-like joint that opens and closes your mouth.
Who Can Help Me With Jaw Pain?
The first step is to go to the dentist and see if you have any tooth or dental issues. However, if there are no dental issues and the pain persists, ask your dentist about seeing a PT who specializes in TMJ dysfunction.
What a TMJ PT Can Do:
Your PT will first assess where your pain is coming from, including:
- teeth grinding
- muscle tension
- stress/anxiety
- a trauma/injury
- poor posture
- pain originating in the neck
- joint arthritis.
Studies show that some of the best treatments of TMJ dysfunction include:
- posture retraining
- jaw and neck muscle releases/massage
- gentle manual mobilizations to jaw and neck
- strengthening to jaw and neck
No matter the cause, don’t sit on your pain. The earlier you address it, the quicker you can resolve it. Ask your dentist or call your local PT office to see if they can help you with your pain. You can book online for your first appointment https://reachyours.com/request-appointment/ or call us at 484-841-6154