What Is Temporomandibular Joint Disorder?
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) guides jaw movement. Problems with the TMJ are known as temporomandibular joint disorder or dysfunction (TMD). TMD is very common; more than 10 million people in the United States have it. TMD can be caused by:
How Does it Feel?
TMD symptoms include:
- Jaw pain
- Jaw fatigue
- Difficulty opening your mouth to eat or talk
- Ringing in your ears
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Popping sounds in your jaw
- Neck pain
- Locking jaw
How Is It Diagnosed?
To identify the cause of the symptoms, your physical therapist will first:
- Review your medical history, and discuss any previous surgery, fractures, or other injuries to your head, neck, or jaw.
- Conduct a physical examination of your jaw and neck.
The physical therapist will evaluate your posture and how your cervical spine—your neck—moves. The therapist will examine the TMJ to find out how well it can open and whether there are any abnormalities in jaw motion. The therapist might place his or her hand in your mouth to examine your jaw movement.
If, after the examination, the physical therapist suspects that your pain is a result of the position (“alignment”) of your teeth, the therapist will refer you to your dentist for further examination.
Can this Injury or Condition be Prevented?
Maintaining a good sitting posture is key to preventing TMJ problems. Your physical therapist will show you how to maintain a good sitting posture to prevent future episodes of TMD.
General Tips:
- Avoid repetitive chewing, such as gum chewing
- Avoid smoking
- Avoid opening the jaw too wide
- Avoid eating hard or chewy foods
- Maintain good oral hygiene and tooth health
- Avoid sleeping on your stomach, which forces the neck to rotate in one direction in order to maintain an open airway, increasing stress on the TMJ
- Your work should be directly in front of you and not off to the side where you are forced to look in one direction for long periods of time.
- Are you on the phone for long periods of time? Use a headset that allows the neck and jaw to remain in a restful(“neutral”) position.
Temporomandibular joint disorder (or “dysfunction”) (TMD) is very common; more than 10 million people in the United States have it. Jaw pain is one of the symptoms of TMD.
It’s important for you to know that jaw pain also can be a symptom of heart attack. Seek medical care immediately if jaw pain is accompanied by:
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness
- Left arm pain
- Numbness in your left arm
- Nausea.
How Can Physical Therapy Help?
Your physical therapist can help restore the natural movement of your jaw and decrease your pain. If the therapist determines that your jaw pain is not related to teeth alignment, the therapist will select treatments that will work best for you. Treatments used by physical therapists for TMD include:
Your physical therapist will teach you special “low-load” exercises—exercises that don’t exert a lot of pressure on your TMJ but that can strengthen the muscles of the jaw and restore a more natural, pain-free motion.
If your TMD is caused by teeth alignment problems, your physical therapist can refer you to a dentist who specializes in TMD. They can correct your teeth alignment with special appliances, such as “bit guards,” that create a natural resting position of the jaw to relax the TMJ, relieve pain, and improve jaw function.
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