Breaking
the pain in jaw joints
By
Roberta Field
The jaw joint is also known as the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).
By placing a finger on the side of the face, in front of the
ear, the joint can be felt moving as the mouth is opened and
closed. The joints of both sides of the face move in unison.
The jaw joint may become painful or stiff as a result of trauma
from sport, such as a blow to the chin from a squash racquet
or hitting the point of the chin on the ground. Hyperextension
of the neck that may occur with a vigorous rugby tackle or with
a whiplash injury during a car accident may also cause trauma
to the jaw joint.
Dental procedures can be another source of injury to the TMJ.
Sometimes the onset of problems will be more gradual, related
to a build up of muscle tension and stress.
Clenching and grinding of the teeth can result in TMJ pain and
dysfunction.
Jaw problems may present as:
-
pain
with movement of the jaw;
- pain
in or around the ear;
-
tenderness in the face muscles, particularly around the cheek;
-
grating, grinding or clicking in the jaw joint;
-
locking of the jaw;
-
being unable to open your mouth fully;
-
ringing or “fullness” in the ear;
-
painful teeth;
-
headaches; and
- neck
pain.
Often
the pain will be aggravated by movements such as chewing, wide opening
of the mouth, yawning and or laughing.
Problems of the jaw joint are usually dealt with by a team of health
professionals, including physiotherapists and dentists.
After taking a history, your physiotherapist would then physically
assess the movement and function of the jaw joint, neck and upper
body as the function of these body areas is so inter-related.
Sometimes pain in the face and jaw may be referred from the neck,
so treatment of this area would be necessary to relieve the pain.
A treatment program is started when the major problems have been
identified.
Good posture is always going to be emphasised in treatment.
To minimise stress and allow good function of the jaw joint, the
upper body posture, particularly the position of the head and neck,
is very important.
Massaging tight muscles and moving joints may also be used by the
physiotherapist to correct abnormalities.
Exercises may be given to help correct muscle imbalances.
Roberta Field is a physiotherapist at 2HSB.
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