Temporomandibular Joint Disorder

TMJ disorders are the conditions affecting the jaw joints and the surrounding muscles and ligaments. The condition may be acute or chronic and the resulting pain may be severe or mild.

Causes:

  • Trauma
  • Improper bite
  • Arthritis due to normal wear and tear
  • Bruxism (teeth grinding/chewing)
  • Dislocation of the disc between the ball and socket joint
  • Stress
  • Improper posture

Symptoms:

  • Jaw pain
  • Headaches
  • Facial pain
  • Earache
  • Pain in the neck or shoulders
  • Difficulty opening your mouth wide
  • Jaw that ‘lock’ in open- or closed- mouth position
  • Tired feeling on your face
  • Difficulty chewing
  • Clicking, popping, or grating sounds in the jaw when opening or closing your mouth

At Zenith Physiotherapy we have physiotherapists who are trained in treating TMJ disorders. For your initial physiotherapy assessment, your physiotherapist will perform a comprehensive evaluation of your TMJ and its surrounding muscles (analyzing the tension in your jaw muscles, range of motion of the joints), cervical spine and both shoulders to determine the structures that might be causing your symptoms. After that your physiotherapist will design a treatment plan for you based on your symptoms and result of your evaluation. The goal of the therapy is to reduce your pain and restore the mobility in your jaw and decrease your symptoms. Treatment plan may consist of joint mobilization, myofascial techniques, jaw exercises, soft tissue massage, modalities including electrical stimulation and ultrasound.