TMJ / Jaw Pain
The TMJ (temporomandibular joint) is the hinge where your jaw meets your skull, just in front of the ear. A TMJ disorder, or TMD, can bring jaw pain, clicking, popping, locking, trouble chewing, ear pain and headaches. East Mountain Physical Therapy treats TMJ pain for patients in Cedar Crest, Edgewood, Tijeras and Moriarty, and works alongside your dentist.
What TMD feels like and where it comes from
The joint, the muscles that move it and the neck below it all play a part.
Symptoms
Jaw pain when chewing, a jaw that clicks, pops or locks, ear pain, and headaches near the temples.
Clenching and grinding
Teeth grinding (bruxism) and clenching your jaw, often during sleep or stress, overload the joint and the chewing muscles.
Posture, injury and arthritis
A forward head position strains the jaw. A blow to the face and arthritis in the joint can add to it.
Working with your dentist and night guard
If your dentist has given you a night guard, keep wearing it. Physical therapy treats the muscles and the neck around the joint and teaches you to quiet the habit of clenching, which a night guard alone does not do. We share what we find with your dentist if you ask us to.
A jaw pain session
Check the jaw and neck
How far you open, whether the jaw tracks straight, and the muscles of the face, jaw and neck.
Hands-on treatment
Gentle mobilization of the joint and release of the chewing muscles. Some jaw work is done with gloved hands inside the mouth, and we explain it first.
Jaw exercises and habits
Simple movements to restore opening and control, and ways to catch clenching during the day.
Related pain
Jaw problems and headaches go together; see headaches and migraines. The neck is the other half of the story: neck pain.
Related care
TMJ / Jaw Pain care in the East Mountains
We see patients from Cedar Crest, Edgewood, Tijeras, Moriarty and the East Mountains.