TMJ (Jaw) pain

TMJ pain, commonly known as jaw pain, is pain originating from the Temporo-Mandibular Joint (TMJ). It can affect all ages, but is more prevalent in younger adults, particularly females. Pain in your jaw can be quite debilitating, as we require our jaw to eat and talk, activities which we participate in multiple times a day.

Jaw pain typically comes on slowly, and is usually caused by the tightening of the muscles that close the jaw. Things like stress, teeth grinding during sleep, changes in teeth structure (like wisdom teeth, loss of teeth or braces) can cause jaw muscles to become overactive and irritate the TMJ. Continuing to eat unusually chewy foods (like tough lollies or steak) can further aggravate the TMJ.
Pain associated with the TMJ can also cause neck pain and headaches, as well as a feeling of ear fullness due to the proximity of TMJ inflammation.

So, what will your physio do to diagnose jaw pain? Your physio will assess your jaw movements, and feel the muscles controlling your TMJ by touching both outside and inside your mouth (don’t worry, physios always wear gloves and are trained to assess very specific areas, and will not do this unless you are comfortable).

To treat your jaw pain, a combination of massage, exercises to retrain jaw movement, and manual therapy can be used. Your physio will also guide you through advice regarding
modifying activities that aggravate or cause your pain. With appropriate management, acute cases should experience a significant improvement within a few weeks, while more chronic cases may take longer.

Don’t let jaw pain hang around for too long, book an assessment consult to relieve your pain and get your jaw back to full, delicious food eating function!