TMJ Disorder and Treatment in Towne Lake Woodstock, GA

Do you suffer from headaches, grinding of your teeth, clicking of your jaw, or even ear pain? These can all be signs of Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome, also known as temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJD). This a disorder of the jaw muscles and nerves caused by injury to the TMJ, which is the joint between your jaw and skull. The injured temporomandibular joint leads to pain with chewing, clicking, and popping of the jaw; swelling on the sides of the face; nerve inflammation; headaches; tooth grinding; and sometimes dislocation of the temporomandibular joint.

A temporomandibular joint disorder comes with severe pain in the face, neck, shoulder, head, and even the ears. It causes a lot of discomfort and can reduce the overall quality of a person’s life. However, you do not have to live with the temporomandibular joint disorder for eternity because FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers - Towne Lake offers effective physical therapy treatment methods for TMJD in Towne Lake, GA.

What causes TMJ syndrome?

Multiple factors contribute to the muscle tightness and dysfunction that characterize temporomandibular disorder. Most often, poor posture and neck alignment change the pull of the muscles that make your jaw move. This change causes painful grinding and irritation of the TMJ. Other causes may include:

• Poor alignment of or trauma to the teeth or jaw: Poor alignment of the teeth is clinically termed malocclusion. This condition occurs when the teeth do not fit together as they should. Malocclusion puts pressure on the soft and hard tissues of the jaw when the mouth is closed and resting because the teeth do not fit together.
• Teeth grinding: Also known as bruxism, teeth grinding is a continuous and unconscious grinding, clenching, and gnashing of the teeth. Chronic and severe teeth grinding can affect the jaws, leading to temporomandibular mandibular joint disorder.
• Poor posture: You may wonder how your body posture affects your jaws. However, you should know that poor posture creates a domino effect that leads to severe temporomandibular joint disorder. A misaligned spine causes the lower jaw to protrude forward, leading to malocclusion, a major cause of TMJ. 
• Stress: Psychological factors such as stress and anxiety also cause temporomandibular joint disorder. When stressed or anxious, you may grind your teeth unconsciously, wearing your jaw out and causing TMJ.
• Arthritis or other inflammatory musculoskeletal disorders: Arthritis is a condition that occurs due to joint inflammation. If your jaw joints become inflamed, you may develop temporomandibular joint disorder. Inflammation of the jaw joints causes pain and makes it difficult to chew. 
• Excessive gum chewing: If you chew gum too frequently, you may put excessive stress on your jaw joints and tighten the jaw muscles. Prolonged gum chewing also leads to bruxism. All of these situations lead to temporomandibular joint disorder.

What are the Symptoms of TMJ Syndrome?

The following are conditions that signify the presence of TMJ in your jaws:

• Stiffness in the jaw
• Headache and migraine
• Shoulder and neck pain
• Pain and tenderness in the jaw
• Clicking or popping jaw
• Earache and toothache
• Tinnitus
• Difficulty opening the mouth, etc.

One of the best treatment methods for temporomandibular joint disorder is physical therapy. This mode of treatment treats and manages the pain associated with TMJ and restores proper jaw movement.

Benefits of a FYZICAL Manual Therapy Approach

The following are the benefits of physical therapy for temporomandibular joint disorder:

• Decrease pain and muscle guarding
• Increase range of motion
• Increase postural awareness
• Restore joint movement around a normal physiological axis
• Preventing unnecessary drug use while providing treatment