What is TMD (temporomandibular joint disorder)?
- Refers to any dysfunction of the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and tissues associated with the temporomandibular joint (TMJ)
What are the symptoms of TMD?
- Pain and tenderness in or around the ear, jaw, cheeks, temporal region, face, and neck
- Clicking, popping, snapping, crunching, or grinding noises upon opening and closing the jaw
- Aberrant jaw movements
- Associated with headaches
What are the causes of TMD?
- Joint disease (arthritis)
- Bruxism (clenching or grinding teeth) due to stress or at night during sleep
- Head and neck tension or dysfunctions
- Stress or anxiety
- Chewing on tough foods
- Breaking hard objects such as nuts using your teeth
- Direct hit to the jaw (e.g. during boxing)
- Sleeping on your jaw
What are effective treatments for TMD?
- Change of habits such as limiting grinding and clenching
- Rest and relaxation
- Self massaging muscles associated with TMJ
- Decreasing stress
- Eating softer foods and chewing on smaller pieces
- Limiting the extent of mouth opening during yawning
- Wearing a night guard, if needed (prescribed by your dentist or ENT specialist)
- Pain medication and muscle relaxants
- Doing at-home exercises and stretches – See below
- Getting soft tissue therapy and joint mobilization/manipulation by your chiropractor (Dr. Khoshroo) specializing in jaw pain and TMD
- Soft tissue therapy includes trigger point therapy, stretching, and tight tissue release using techniques such as Active Release Technique and PNF stretching
- Soft tissue therapy can be superficial as well as intraoral (to release the tight muscles and tendons within the mouth)
- Manipulation/mobilization of the TMJ helps release tension and loosen the ligaments/joints for increased movement and decreased pain
- Dr. Khoshroo treats jaw pain and TMD using soft tissue therapy techniques and joint mobilization/manipulation
Contact Dr. Khoshroo for more information regarding chiropractic treatments available for jaw pain and TMD
4 Stretches for jaw pain and TMD:
- Jaw Opening Stretch
- Lateral Deviation Stretch
- Jaw Protrusion Stretch
- Jaw Retrusion Stretch
4 Exercises for jaw pain and TMD:
- Jaw Opening Resisted
- Lateral Deviation Resisted
- Jaw Protrusion Resisted
- Jaw Closing Resisted
- Dr. Khoshroo effectively treats jaw pain and temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) using soft tissue therapy techniques and joint mobilization/manipulation in North Vancouver at QubeCore Sports & Rehab.
- Images courtesy of SimpleSet Pro
