TMJ Disorder Management Program
Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction/Disorder (TMJD) is a condition that can include pain, clicking, and/or locking in the joint that moves the jaw. It can cause headaches, neck pain, ear aches as well as other symptoms. Functional limitations can include difficulty lying your head on a pillow, talking, chewing, singing, and more. About 20-30% of the adult population have reported TMJD symptoms.
Although most TMJ disorder (TMJD) symptoms occur in the jaw, the condition can also be influenced by areas such as the neck, teeth, upper back, and shoulders. If you're wondering, can stress cause TMJ disorder, the answer is that physical and mental stress can contribute to or worsen TMJD by increasing muscle tension and jaw clenching. Other contributing factors may include dysfunction in the temporomandibular joint, surrounding muscles, the neck or shoulders, poor posture, and other physical or emotional stressors.
In severe cases, if physical therapy does not help resolve your symptoms, TMJD may require surgical intervention. If your therapist believes you may need a surgical consult, we will help refer you to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon (OMS). Because TMJ surgery sometimes has unpredictable results, we do not make this recommendation lightly, and we will have a continuous discussion with you to ensure what your best options are for pain and dysfunction management. Don’t worry yet, though, physical therapy can be extremely helpful for even the worst cases of TMJD.
At Whole Body Health Physical Therapy, we can help determine what factors are affecting your condition and can provide education, individualized manual- and exercise-based treatments, home/work ergonomic assessments, as well as lifestyle changes to help TMJ pain, which will enable you to reach your goals faster.
Examples of education include recommendations for mouth guards if warranted, self-massage, and resting and relaxation positions of the jaw. Manual therapy can include intra- and extraoral massage, TMJ, neck, and upper back mobilization, contract-relax techniques, and more. All interventions are case-specific, especially strengthening and stretching recommendations. Not all cases of TMJD are the same, so client-specific interventions is our top priority. If you are exploring physical therapy for TMJ near you, our new guide to the exercises we recommend is a great place to start.