The Jaw and Physiotherapy

 

Did you know the jaw (TMJ) Temporomandibular Joint is the most used joint?  And the jaw muscle, the Masseter, the strongest muscle in the body?

The TMJ (jaw joints) is an extremely important joint as it is involved in vital functions such as eating, talking, breathing and most importantly expressing feelings and emotions.

When the jaw joints and muscles become painful due to overactivity, incorrect biomechanics or stress, they can have a huge impact on the entire facial, skull and neck regions as 3 of the 12 cranial nerves are located in this area.

The jaw is unique in the fact that it is made up of two independent functioning joints on both sides of the mouth. If a restriction occurs on one side this can have a big impact on the other side.  As the jaw joints are the hardest working in the body, overtime this can lead to pain and restriction resulting in symptoms such as:

• Clicking, grinding or locking of the jaw
• Headaches & Dizziness
• Difficulty opening or closing the mouth comfortably
• Pain while talking, chewing (especially hard food) & yawning
• Ear pain and ringing in the ears (tinnitus)

 

Physiotherapists trained in TMJ (Jaw) physiotherapy can help to significantly reduce pain and help with function and mobility. TMJ physiotherapists can have a big impact on improving your quality of life.

 

Ryan Green (Mpthy GDipExSc BAppSc)