TMJ Disorders and Treatment in Woodstock, GA

At FYZICAL Therapy and Balance Centers in Woodstock, Georgia, we are specialists in diagnosing and treating temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. 

TMJ disorders affect the joint connecting the jawbone to the skull as well as the surrounding muscles and tissues. This can lead to significant jaw pain, difficulty chewing, headaches, and other debilitating symptoms. Let’s take a complete look at TMJ treatment in Woodstock.

What Makes Our TMJ Treatment Different?

Our TMJ physical therapy in Woodstock takes a more comprehensive approach than traditional treatments:

• Manual physical therapy to improve jaw mechanics and release tight muscles
• Custom-fit oral appliances to stabilize TMJ joint positions
• Postural retraining to ease the strain on the TMJ complex
• Trigger point therapy to alleviate muscle knots
• Therapeutic exercises to strengthen and stretch for balanced motion
• Neuromuscular electrical stimulation to relax overactive muscles

We identify the underlying causes of your particular TMJ disorder and design integrated treatment plans to provide lasting relief. Now, let’s take a look at what conditions we successfully treated when it comes to TMJ disorder treatment in Woodstock.

TMJ Conditions Successfully Treated

We have effectively treated many common TMJ disorders, including:

• Chronic jaw, face, neck, or head pain
• Painful clicking, popping, or locking of the jaw
• Limited ability to open or close the mouth
• TMJ disc displacement disorders
• Degenerative joint disease (arthritis)
• Facial trauma after injuries or accidents

Patients see us for physical therapy for TMJ in Woodstock because conservative approaches like oral splints and medications often fail to fully resolve their symptoms long-term.

Advantages of Physical Therapy for TMJ

Some key benefits our patients receive from specialized TMJ physical therapy:

• Non-invasive with minimal side effects
• Often more affordable than surgery or appliances
• Treats root mechanical causes, not just symptoms
• Utilizes hands-on manual techniques to loosen joints and relax muscles
• Restores balanced motion patterns through custom exercises
• Provides permanent results when consistency applied

Studies demonstrate physical therapy alone can be as or more effective for TMJ disorders than oral splints, medications, or other standard treatments. Our experienced physical therapists utilize advanced techniques to reduce joint restrictions, ease inflammation, retrain proper movement, and decrease head, neck, and facial pain.

FAQs

What is the most common TMJ disorder?

The most prevalent TMJ disorders in Woodstock are non-specific pain in the facial muscles and jaw joints. Sometimes termed TMJ dysfunction syndrome, it refers to discomfort without identifiable structural joint damage. It often results from chronic muscle tension and inflammation.

What works best to treat TMJ disorders?

The most effective TMJ treatment depends on the particular symptoms and causes in each case. For dysfunction without major joint damage, initial conservative treatments like physical therapy are recommended. Physical therapy combines manual therapy, therapeutic exercises, pain relief modalities, braces, and patient education.

Can physical therapy successfully treat TMJ pain?

Absolutely. Studies show physical therapy interventions like manual joint and soft tissue mobilization, postural correction, customized stretches, and coordination exercises can successfully reduce TMJ pain and improve function. Our tailored TMJ therapy retains balanced motion to achieve lasting results without drugs or surgery.