If you’ve ever had your mouth open during a dental procedure or gone a few rounds in a boxing ring, you may know what it’s like to have an aching jaw. Maybe you’ve been chewing a lot of caramels or popcorn which can also irritate your jaw joints. We have 2 temporomandibular joints (TMJ), one on each side of our face located in front of the ears. They are like any other joint in the body and are prone to injury. Since we need our jaw to ingest food these joints get used frequently throughout the day. If something has disrupted their ability to work smoothly they become painful with chewing, or sometimes even noisy, producing a clicking or clunking sound which can disturb you in addition to your dinner guests.
Treatment for jaw pain from a prolonged dental procedure, or for example when I once treated an opera singer, who frequently needed to hold a note with a wide open mouth, is simple for a Physical Therapist. We address it as we would any other joint that has been sprained by treating the inflammation and making sure the joint returns to full mobility. We usually need to get our hand in your mouth (wearing a glove, of course) to feel how the joint moves and to massage the tight muscles. Most patients are surprised how sore they are, but usually respond quickly to treatment.
Often times we see clients with jaw pain without reports of an injury. They complain of aching in their face and may also report headaches and neck pain. In these cases, we perform a full evaluation of their jaw, neck and analyze their posture, while screening for a medical referral since jaw pain can be a sign of heart disease or an abscessed tooth.
A majority of the “non- trauma” TMJ clients have postural changes creating a forward position of their head. (Yes, like your mother said we all need to “SIT UP STRAIGHT!”) The forward head position stretches the muscles and tendons of the jaw and over time can create joint problems leading to pain and clicking. The click is usually a result of the tissue or disc that cushions the joint getting pinched between the bones. Sometimes clients have no pain at all, but their noisy joint brings them to us. A few have come to the clinic after being prompted by their spouse threatening divorce due to the annoying nature of their chewing. Treatment usually includes hands on mobilization of the jaw and neck, plus a comprehensive postural exercise program which is the key to long term success. So, the next time your spouse or friend makes a comment regarding your noisy jaw, or you suffer from jaw pain, head to your Physical Therapist. We’d love to get our hands in your mouth to make you feel better and to potentially save your marriage.