Jaw pain

The Jaw and surrounding muscles

Jaw pain or temporomandibular disorder (TMD) has a prevalence of between 5-12 % in the general population. It affects women more than men and is most common between the ages of 20 and 40.

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) acts like a sliding hinge, connecting your jawbone to your skull. You have one joint on each side of your jaw. TMJ disorders — a type of temporomandibular disorder or TMD — can cause pain in your jaw joint and in the muscles that control jaw movement.

Some causes included trauma – (jaw pain affects one third of whiplash patients), teeth grinding or clenching due to stress and anxiety or opening your mouth too wide. There can be problems with the disc in the jaw when it moves out of its correct alignment.

In most cases, the pain and discomfort associated with TMJ disorders is temporary and can be relieved with physiotherapy and other nonsurgical treatments. Surgery is a last resort after conservative measures have failed.

Physiotherapy treatment includes gentle soft tissue techniques to relieve excessive tension in the jaw muscles. Mobilization techniques or manual therapy is also used to help improve range of motion when the jaw is very stiff.

Here at southside physiotherapy we have physiotherapists that specialize in jaw pain and who can help relieve your symptoms.

Contact us at info@southsidephysio.com or by phone at 2897171