How Physical Therapy Can Help With Jaw Pain
There you sit, enjoying a delicious meal, when you realize chewing is causing pain in your jaw. Or maybe you’ve noticed that your jaw has a constant dull ache, even when you’re not eating. Or maybe you’re experiencing pain in and around your ear, a clicking in your jaw, or difficulty opening or closing your mouth. These are all symptoms of temporomandibular dysfunction. More commonly known as TMD.
Did you know that physical therapy can help relieve and manage TMD? The physical therapists at Clear Lake Physical Therapy and Rehab Specialists (CLPTRS) are movement experts. And that includes the movement of the jaw.
What is TMD? It’s a condition affecting the movement of the jaw. It is a disorder that can affect the jaw muscles, temporomandibular joints, and the nerves linked to chronic facial pain.
Common signs you could be dealing with TMD include:
- pain around your jaw, ear, and temple
- difficulty fully opening your mouth
- clicking, popping, or grinding noises when you move your jaw
- headaches
- clenching your teeth
There are several reasons someone suffers from TMD. Many times, an exact cause may not be clear. Oftentimes, symptoms begin without an obvious reason. However, a blow to the head or face, stress, habitual teeth grinding, and arthritis can all be the source of TMD.
If you are experiencing jaw pain, physical therapy may be the relief you’re looking for. We will work with you with hands-on techniques to improve joint movement, reduce stiffness, and decrease pain. We can show you specific exercises to control and restore motion to the jaw and help re-educate the muscles surrounding the joint. Over time, the joints around your jaw will re-learn its proper motion. Then the pain or discomfort associated with TMD will dramatically decrease or disappear altogether.
Whether you’re living with TMD, hip pain, a balance disorder, weakening knees, or any number of aches and pains, we would love to help you move and feel better at any of our three offices. Our physical therapists in our Turtle Lake, Clear Lake, or Amery locations are ready to serve you. Please call us at 715-263-4103 to discuss how we can help you!