TMD MANAGEMENT

What is TMD and TMJ?

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the joint of the jaw where the lower jaw (mandible) meets the skull below the temples. Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD) is a combination of jaw pain, neck pain, headaches, and earaches associated with unhealthy movement patterns , clicking, popping or locking of the jaw. These disorders affect nearly 10 million Americans, but can be effectively managed through physical therapy.

Physical Therapy and TMD

Research has shown that physical therapy can help manage jaw pain related to TMD. In order to provide you with the best care, your physical therapist will perform an evaluation of your jaw and neck and determine the treatment pathway that fits YOUR specific dysfunction.

At Body One, we emphasize education of the condition to our patients as the first step of management. Further, we will explore areas such as posture correction, diet, mobilization and relaxation, and overall joint strength and flexibility. We believe in working with your dentist or orthodontist to provide the best advice and care possible.

Body One TMD Team

Chelsea Savage PT, DPT, OCS –Fishers
Brian Pease PT, DHS, OCS – Fishers

Common Causes

  • Trauma from a dental procedure, direct blow to the head, face, or jaw, or whiplash from a car accident.
  • Poor posture from sitting most of the day at work or at home.
  • Stress that causes clenching of the jaw during the day or bruxing at night.
  • Osteoarthritis – more stress on the joint than able to handle.

Common Symptoms

  • Pain in the chewing muscles and/or jaw joint or jaw muscle stiffness.
  • Noticeable and frequent clicking, popping, or locking of the jaw while eating or talking.
  • Frequent headaches that could be similar to tension headaches.
  • Ear fullness, earaches, or ringing in the ears.

CAUTION: Jaw pain also can be a symptom of heart attack. Seek medical care immediately if jaw pain is accompanied by:

  • Chest pain
  • Shortness of breath
  • Dizziness
  • Left arm pain
  • Numbness in the left arm
  • Nausea

Our TMD specialists have provided multiple educational presentations for Dental Professionals regarding physical therapy for TMJ dysfunction. If you, your dental practice or professional organization would be interested in having one of our therapists present on this topic, please contact us at Csavage@bodyonept.com

Testimonials

Featured Real-Life Experience

Katherine is a professional musician with a busy day filled with lengthy personal practice sessions and teaching student lessons. She spends many hours sitting or standing with her clarinet, sometimes hanging from a support strap around her neck while she plays. At some point she started feeling stiffness in the jaw and neck area, which was soon followed by pain and discomfort. She played through it.

Show More

Katherine takes her musical performances very seriously and finds herself tensing her neck, face and jaw during orchestral rehearsals and performances. She knows she’s not the only one with jaw pain, her fellow musicians have mentioned having some in passing as well, but there is a certain stigma about being an “injured” musician, so she just tried to deal with it on her own. Eventually the pain became so debilitating that she could not put in the practice hours required for a holiday concert. After doing a brief google search, Katherine called Body One and made an appointment.

During her initial appointment, I listened carefully as she described her recent experiences during her orchestral performances and conducted a thorough examination of her neck and jaw. Her presentation was consistent with TMD (temporomandibular dysfunction) and we determined that her pain was related to postural habits of her neck, jaw and face, some of which was created by the demand of playing her instrument. We discussed other factors such as her response to stressors, while ruling out other possible issues with her bite and the joint itself.

We began her treatment by teaching her how to maintain proper posture at home and work. I taught her to achieve a proper resting position of the jaw to minimize pressure on the muscles around the jaw, and explained that this was the position she needed to maintain throughout her day when she was not playing her clarinet. We focused on returning her jaw to this position whenever she began to feel tense and if that occurred during performances, we integrated breaks and stretching to promote relaxation.

During her sessions in the clinic, we applied specialized manual therapy (hands on) techniques to her TMJ and surrounding muscles, and I guided her through a few neck and middle-back strengthening exercises. Together we designed an individualized home-exercise program for Katherine that included postural exercises, gentle stretches, and strengthening exercises for the neck and middle back. Finally, we reviewed some gentle relaxation techniques to help her manage her stress while at work and at home.

After a month of receiving physical therapy treatments and sticking to her home-exercise program, Katherine felt much less pain in the TMJ, was able to fully open and close her mouth and was able to return to playing her clarinet without jaw pain.

Currently, Katherine is back to playing and teaching clarinet full time. She reports that she still needs to perform some of her jaw and neck exercises regularly, but they are simple to do and she is happy to do them as they prevent her pain from returning.

This story was based on a real-life case. Your case may be different. Your physical therapist will tailor a treatment program to your specific situation. Contact Body One Physical Therapy to address your TMD concerns!

TMD MANAGEMENT

What is TMD and TMJ?

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the joint of the jaw where the lower jaw (mandible) meets the skull below the temples. Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD) is a combination of jaw pain, neck pain, headaches, and earaches associated with unhealthy movement patterns , clicking, popping or locking of the jaw. These disorders affect nearly 10 million Americans, but can be effectively managed through physical therapy.

Physical Therapy and TMD

Research has shown that physical therapy can help manage jaw pain related to TMD. In order to provide you with the best care, your physical therapist will perform an evaluation of your jaw and neck and determine the treatment pathway that fits YOUR specific dysfunction.

At Body One, we emphasize education of the condition to our patients as the first step of management. Further, we will explore areas such as posture correction, diet, mobilization and relaxation, and overall joint strength and flexibility. We believe in working with your dentist or orthodontist to provide the best advice and care possible.

Body One TMD Team

Chelsea Savage PT, DPT, OCS –Fishers
Brian Pease PT, DHS, OCS – Fishers

Common Causes

  • Trauma from a dental procedure, direct blow to the head, face, or jaw, or whiplash from a car accident.
  • Poor posture from sitting most of the day at work or at home.
  • Stress that causes clenching of the jaw during the day or bruxing at night.
  • Osteoarthritis – more stress on the joint than able to handle.

Common Symptoms

  • Pain in the chewing muscles and/or jaw joint or jaw muscle stiffness.
  • Noticeable and frequent clicking, popping, or locking of the jaw while eating or talking.
  • Frequent headaches that could be similar to tension headaches.
  • Ear fullness, earaches, or ringing in the ears.

CAUTION: Jaw pain also can be a symptom of heart attack. Seek medical care immediately if jaw pain is accompanied by:

  • Chest pain
  • Shortness of breath
  • Dizziness
  • Left arm pain
  • Numbness in the left arm
  • Nausea

Our TMD specialists have provided multiple educational presentations for Dental Professionals regarding physical therapy for TMJ dysfunction. If you, your dental practice or professional organization would be interested in having one of our therapists present on this topic, please contact us at Csavage@bodyonept.com

Testimonials

Featured Real-Life Experience

Katherine is a professional musician with a busy day filled with lengthy personal practice sessions and teaching student lessons. She spends many hours sitting or standing with her clarinet, sometimes hanging from a support strap around her neck while she plays. At some point she started feeling stiffness in the jaw and neck area, which was soon followed by pain and discomfort. She played through it.

Show More

Katherine takes her musical performances very seriously and finds herself tensing her neck, face and jaw during orchestral rehearsals and performances. She knows she’s not the only one with jaw pain, her fellow musicians have mentioned having some in passing as well, but there is a certain stigma about being an “injured” musician, so she just tried to deal with it on her own. Eventually the pain became so debilitating that she could not put in the practice hours required for a holiday concert. After doing a brief google search, Katherine called Body One and made an appointment.

During her initial appointment, I listened carefully as she described her recent experiences during her orchestral performances and conducted a thorough examination of her neck and jaw. Her presentation was consistent with TMD (temporomandibular dysfunction) and we determined that her pain was related to postural habits of her neck, jaw and face, some of which was created by the demand of playing her instrument. We discussed other factors such as her response to stressors, while ruling out other possible issues with her bite and the joint itself.

We began her treatment by teaching her how to maintain proper posture at home and work. I taught her to achieve a proper resting position of the jaw to minimize pressure on the muscles around the jaw, and explained that this was the position she needed to maintain throughout her day when she was not playing her clarinet. We focused on returning her jaw to this position whenever she began to feel tense and if that occurred during performances, we integrated breaks and stretching to promote relaxation.

During her sessions in the clinic, we applied specialized manual therapy (hands on) techniques to her TMJ and surrounding muscles, and I guided her through a few neck and middle-back strengthening exercises. Together we designed an individualized home-exercise program for Katherine that included postural exercises, gentle stretches, and strengthening exercises for the neck and middle back. Finally, we reviewed some gentle relaxation techniques to help her manage her stress while at work and at home.

After a month of receiving physical therapy treatments and sticking to her home-exercise program, Katherine felt much less pain in the TMJ, was able to fully open and close her mouth and was able to return to playing her clarinet without jaw pain.

Currently, Katherine is back to playing and teaching clarinet full time. She reports that she still needs to perform some of her jaw and neck exercises regularly, but they are simple to do and she is happy to do them as they prevent her pain from returning.

This story was based on a real-life case. Your case may be different. Your physical therapist will tailor a treatment program to your specific situation. Contact Body One Physical Therapy to address your TMD concerns!