TMJ Treatment
TMJ Treatment
Are you experiencing pain or tenderness at the jaw? Have you noticed clicking or popping sounds with opening and closing the mouth? or maybe you’ve had difficulty chewing or biting? This is extremely common and is likely related to your jaw or temporomandibular joint (TMJ).
The TMJ is the hinge that connects your jawbone to your skull, allowing you to talk, chew, and yawn. When this joint or the muscles around it are not functioning properly it can lead to pain, clicking and difficulty moving your jaw. Although jaw pain/dysfunction is the most common form of TMJ pain, it can also be accompanied by neck pain and headaches.
Symptoms
Pain with chewing, yawning
Clicking/Popping sounds when opening/closing mouth
‘Locking’ of the jaw
Headaches and Neck pain
Pain in the ear
Teeth grinding
TMJ Treatment at Live Well Health Centre
When jaw pain occurs, your first thought may be to book in with your dentist! However, as Osteopaths we are well trained in treating and managing this type of pain.
At Live Well Health Centre your consultation will begin with a thorough medical history and assessment. This will help identify important factors that may be contributing to or causing your pain before proceeding with treatment.
Treatment of TMJ pain will often begin with soft tissue massage of the associated muscles of the jaw and neck. Your osteopath will then proceed with joint mobilisations, stretching and Osteopathic techniques aimed at improving range of motion and restoring function.
Once hands-on treatment is complete, your osteopath will provide you with management strategies that you can utilise at home. These may include stretches and self massage techniques, as well as cues to avoid poor habits such as clenching, grinding and excessive chewing. You may then be progressed to a Physitrack program, which is a tailored exercise program provided to you with video demonstrations. Finally, if required your Osteopath will be happy to liaise with a dentist to help relieve your pain if we believe that dental work would be beneficial to help reduce your pain levels.
At Live Well, long-term care and management can be provided via strength & conditioning and Clinical Pilates, in addition to Osteopathic treatment. This can help address underlying factors that may be contributing to your pain, such as poor posture and degenerative changes.
TMJ pain can be extremely uncomfortable and interfere with daily living. If you’re suffering from TMJ pain, we suggest consulting with one of our amazing Osteopaths to help get your health back on track!