Have you ever heard of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ)? If you’ve never had any pain in your TMJ, chances are you’ve never given much thought to how to take care of it. However, if you’re someone with pain in your TMJ, you’re probably curious as to what you can do to help alleviate that pain.
The TMJ enables your mouth to move, so it plays an important role in many simple daily tasks such as eating, speaking, chewing, laughing, and smiling. Needless to say that when you experience pain in your TMJ, it can severely hinder your quality of life.
Injuries to your TMJ can, of course, happen as a result of an incident of trauma, but arthritis, an improper bite, or the normal wear and tear on your joint from daily use are other reasons you could be experiencing discomfort.
Many people with TMJ pain are surprised to find out that physical therapy can help, depending on the severity and causes of your pain. Physical therapists will evaluate you and the best treatment option for your case, but here are three common ways that physical therapy can help with your TMJ pain.
Posture Education
Oftentimes an incorrect posture could be contributing to your TMJ pain. Poor head, neck, and trunk posturing can put a strain on the muscles connected to your jaw. These things can happen gradually over time, or a specific event could be made worse with poor postural habits, which might not have been an issue previously.
Physical therapists will evaluate your posture and work with you to correct it if found to be a cause of your pain.
Manual Therapy
You may see an image of manual therapy in your head when physical therapy comes to mind. This technique can also be used to treat your TMJ pain. Physical therapists can perform many manual techniques to mobilize the jaw for improved movement, reduce stiffness, correct hypermobility, work to correct movement issues with opening and closing, and control and reduce painful popping/clicking.
Exercises
Gentle exercises are another way physical therapists can help alleviate your TMJ pain. Strengthening the muscles in and around the joint is an effective way to reduce pain. Stretching, strengthening, and activating certain muscles can effectively reduce pain.
Call Country Roads Physical Therapy Today!
You shouldn’t have to suffer from pain––with a few tips and simple changes, you can experience comfort and relief today.
With our state-of-the-art equipment, aquatic facility, and ASTYM/Functional Dry Needling treatment options, our hands-on techniques are perfect for treating aches, injuries, age-related pain, and other muscle and body discomfort. Make an appointment today or find additional information at www.countryroadspt.com. We have locations in West Fairmont, East Fairmont, Buckhannon, Wheeling, Morgantown, and Whitehall, West Virginia.