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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:
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pain with movement of the jaw;
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pain in or around the ear;
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tenderness in the face muscles, particularly around the
cheek;
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grating,
grinding or clicking in the jaw joint;
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being unable to open your mouth fully;
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ringing or “fullness” in the ear;
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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 the 2nd Health Support
Battalion.
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