If you experience pain in your jaw on one or even both sides, you may have the medical condition temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD), which can also be known as TMJ. According to Licensed Physical Therapist Kevin Kucko and our team at K2 Sports Therapy in Mooresville, NC, TMJ often begins when your jaw hurts, clicks, or catches and your facial muscles may feel as if they are in a painful spasm.
What Is the TM Joint?
There are dual TM joints (TMJ) in front of your ears - where the jaw meets the skull. The temporomandibular joint is supported by a number of muscles, cartilage, ligaments, and a disk that permits the TM joint to move in every direction.
Jaw pain and clicking can be generated by a misalignment or malfunctioning of any of the above components. However, typically, the pain related to TMJ manifests from -
- The muscles surrounding the TM joint
- Abnormal stress on the temporomandibular joint
- Chronic degenerative changes to the tiny intra-joint disk when your jaw opens and closes
Other causes of TMJ include the following –
· Displacement of the joint’s articular disc
- Forward/inclined head posture that creates misalignment issues
- Muscle spasms
- Stress or anxiety
- Teeth clenching (a.k.a., bruxism)
TMJ Symptoms
Temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMJ, has the potential to make it significantly difficult to simply use your jaw. Hallmark or classic symptoms of TMJ include -
- Pain in your jaw that creates limitations regarding one’s capacity to open or close your mouth comfortably
- Experience clicking or catching when talking, chewing food, and even yawning
It is noted that TMJ symptoms tend to become noticeable gradually – and often, the trigger cannot be connected to a specific event, accident, or injury. The pain that TMJ treatments can help relieve is typically intermittent but usually becomes noticeable after eating hard foods or opening your mouth wide like you usually do during a large yawn.
TMJ Treatments
Physical therapists offer various TMJ treatments to address musculoskeletal conditions that have the potential to contribute to the development of TMJ dysfunction. Physical therapists can provide the following treatments –
- Joint mobilization and stabilization
- Soft tissue massage
- Relaxation exercises
- Posture improvement
- Laser therapy
93% of our patients report that our hands-on techniques result in a reduction of pain, and these treatments can be provided in just a few visits.
Contact K2 Sports Therapy for TMJ Treatments Near You
For more information on the various therapies that offer TMJ symptom relief, call our staff and set up an appointment with one of our Licensed Physical Therapists of K2 Sports Therapy in Mooresville at 704-360-2595 or see our online form.