How to Treat TMJ Disorders with Physical Therapy



TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint) disorders are a common condition that affects the jaw joint and associated muscles. Symptoms of TMJ disorder can include pain, clicking or popping when you open your mouth, difficulty chewing, and headaches. Fortunately, physical therapy is an effective treatment option for TMJ disorder. Here’s how to treat it with physical therapy:

1. Identify the Cause: Before beginning any treatment plan for TMJ disorder, it’s important to identify the cause of your symptoms. This could be due to a misalignment of the jaw joint itself, or due to muscle tension in the surrounding area. A physical therapist can help identify any underlying causes through an evaluation process that includes range of motion tests and palpation (touching) of the joint and muscles.

2. Reduce Muscle Tension: Once a diagnosis is made, physical therapists will typically focus on reducing muscle tension in order to reduce pain and restore normal function in the jaw joint. This may involve stretching exercises as well as manual therapies such as massage or trigger point release techniques that target specific areas of tightness or discomfort along with strengthening exercises for weak muscles in order to restore balance between opposing muscle groups around the jaw joint.

3. Improve Posture: Poor posture is often linked to TMJ disorder since poor posture can lead to increased tension in your neck and shoulder muscles which can then refer pain into your face and jaw area leading to further problems with temporomandibular function. Physical therapists can help you improve your posture by teaching you proper body mechanics when performing daily activities such as sitting at a desk or driving a car so that you don’t strain your neck and shoulders unnecessarily which could then lead to further problems with TMJ dysfunction down the line if left unchecked over time

4. Home Exercise Program: Finally, physical therapists will also provide you with a home exercise program tailored specifically for your needs which may include stretching exercises as well as strength training exercises designed specifically for improving temporomandibular function so that you can continue making progress even after therapy sessions have ended

By following these steps outlined above with guidance from a qualified physical therapist, individuals suffering from TMJ disorders should be able see significant improvement over time providing them relief from their symptoms so they can return back to their normal daily activities without pain or discomfort from their condition

Tags:

. TMJ, Temporomandibular Joint, pain, clicking, popping, difficulty chewing, headaches, physical therapy, evaluation process, range of motion tests, palpation (touching), stretching exercises, manual therapies (massage/trigger point release), strengthening exercises for weak muscles in order to restore balance between opposing muscle groups around the jaw joint., posture improvement (body mechanics/daily activities), home exercise program,

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