Our Services
TMJ and Jaw Physiotherapy
At Active Physiotherapy, we specialise in treating TMJ dysfunction and jaw pain. With over 30 years of experience, our team offers personalised care, including thorough assessments and tailored treatment plans with specialised techniques and exercises. Prompt attention prevents complications like chronic pain, headaches, and difficulties with chewing and speaking.
Understanding Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Dysfunction
The Temporo-Mandibular Joint (TMJ) or jaw is a complex mechanical joint system which allows us to chew, speak, yawn and perform many other daily functions.
Most people don’t realise that the jaw is intimately related with the neck, inner ear, teeth and base of the skull and works with these other structures to create our movement patterns. This intimate relationship is both neurological and mechanical.
It is neurological in the sense that the same part of the nervous system mediates neural activity across the structures mentioned above ( the trigemino-cervical nucleus). It is mechanical in that the jaw is attached with ligaments onto the skull, and the skull sits on the top cervical vertebrae, and some muscles affect both the neck, and the jaw, because they attach onto both.
Identifying Signs of TMJ or Jaw Dysfunction
Common complaints we hear from TMJ patients are:
- Jaw pain or clicking
- Difficulty opening the mouth and painful chewing
- Some patients also find they are grinding their teeth and clenching their jaw, which is also known as bruxism.
Research has shown that TMJ pain and dysfunction is common in clients who also have neck pain, thoracic pain, low back pain, headaches, fibromyalgia or who have been involved in whiplash injuries in the past.
We find that often the neurological and mechanical relationships discussed above are associated with the mechanisms by which people can feel TMJ pain.
Common Causes of TMJ Dysfunction & Jaw Pain
There are a variety of causes for TMJ dysfunction and jaw pain:
- People can have injuries that directly affect the jaw position and function, such as an impact to their jaw. Many people can also experience something similar to this this after a lot of dental work. Some injuries can affect the bones and joints around it, such as impacts to the head or whiplash-type injuries from falls or car accidents.
- People often have more complex movement patterns that affect the whole head, neck, shoulder and thoracic (ribcage) area, and impact how the jaw is able to move and operate. Understanding the cause through a comprehensive assessment, which includes the jaw and these other surrounding parts of the body which influence how the jaw moves, is so important in providing an effective treatment which really addresses the whole problem, not just where people feel pain.
- As the TMJ is a joint, it can be affected by arthritis. This is less common, but is generally still able to improved with good physiotherapy management.
- Teeth grinding and stress are often overlooked as factors that can contribute to TMJ and jaw dysfunctions. They are often not the only cause of the problem on their own, but contribute to the symptoms that people experience, by adding to clenching of muscles through the upper neck, shoulders, and also directly in the jaw.
How Physiotherapy Can Relieve TMJ Dysfunction
Good physiotherapy will start with a thorough history, and assessment of the jaw and surrounding areas of the body that can affect the jaw. Once we have a thorough understanding of exactly what the problems are, we can efficiently address them.
We usually will need to use specific manual therapy techniques that facilitate improved movement patterns where they are needed. Sometimes, we will need to release the muscles of the jaw themselves from inside the mouth to rebalance the muscle tension that controls the function of the jaw.
We combine this with exercises to stretch, retrain or strengthen where it is needed to ensure a lasting improvement to the causes of the problem.
What Does TMJ Physiotherapy Involve?
Joint Mobilisation
Depending on how the jaw movement is limited, we can use joint mobilisations to help it to move more correctly in a way that the muscles have become unable to do. We will always look to teach people how to do this for themselves if this will speed up treatment, ensuring that they can do this effectively and safely.
TMJ Massage
Sometimes, the jaw muscles need help to unclench. This is especially the case when pain has been longstanding and the muscles begin to clench all the time in response to the pain.
This often becomes a cycle, leading to more dysfunction, more pain, and more clenching. Sometimes, we will need to release the muscles of the jaw from inside the mouth to rebalance the muscle tension that controls the function of the jaw.
To do this, we wear gloves and work gently and progressively to release this muscle tension and to assist the jaw to relax.
Neck Treatment
The jaw and head sit on the upper neck, and some muscles directly link between them.
Uneven or compressed movement patterns at the upper neck can either pull the jaw in the same direction or cause the jaw to try to compensate for this by moving in the opposite direction. Analysing this correctly allows us to restore movement patterns to how they should be and improve movement and discomfort in both the neck and the jaw at the same time.
Dry Needling
Dry needling can help muscles to relax with high specificity and can be useful when this area of the body is highly irritable and is too sensitised to work on with other manual therapy techniques or when people cannot open their mouth far enough for these. We will sometimes use this when required.
Heat Therapy
Heat can sometimes be helpful to assist muscles to relax more easily. We will provide guidance on this when it is likely to be helpful.
Why Choose Our TMJ Physiotherapy Services?
Our experienced physiotherapists have helped hundreds of people with their TMJ and jaw pain. We perform a careful and detailed assessment of not only the jaw but also the other connected areas of the body that can influence it. We will help you to understand why your jaw pain is occurring and provide a treatment plan to ensure that the underlying causes of your jaw pain are addressed.
Very occasionally, we will see a jaw presentation that should be seen by someone else in the medical system. Rest assured, if we think that further referral for imaging or to another medical professional such as a dentist might be needed, we will discuss this with you.
Restore Your Jaw Function with Professional TMJ Physiotherapy in Darlinghurst & Newtown
Jaw pain, clicking or catching is something you shouldn’t have to live with. If your jaw is painful or often feels tense, call us or click the button below to book an appointment online.
One of our experienced physiotherapists will assess and help you understand why this is happening and how we can help you to change it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there any risks or side effects associated with TMJ physiotherapy?
The jaw muscles can sometimes be quite sensitive and irritable, especially if they have been under stress for a long time. Working on these directly is usually not painful afterwards but can take a day to settle on some occasions.
Can stress and anxiety contribute to TMJ dysfunction?
Absolutely. Stress and anxiety can contribute to a compressed posture between hunching down the back of the upper neck and hunching up the shoulders. This contributes to pushing the jaw forward into a more biomechanically stressful position and compresses more through the TMJ.
How often will I need to attend physiotherapy sessions for TMJ treatment?
Our physiotherapists can always discuss your treatment plan, and tailor it to suit individual needs. Most jaws will start to feel better within the first 1-2 sessions. If there are postural issues directly relating to the jaw dysfunction that need to be retrained, then this can often take 6-12 sessions to complete thoroughly to ensure an enduring solution.
Will I need to make lifestyle changes to improve my TMJ condition?
There will likely be some home exercises to do to retrain your jaw. There will often be some changes to your sleeping or working setup, which can help your jaw change faster.
How can I prevent TMJ dysfunction from recurring in the future?
This is usually helped by maintaining good strength and posture through your neck and shoulders with regular exercise, activation of your postural muscles in these areas, and moving regularly and gently with your neck each day. Strategies to reduce stress and tension can help as well, such as breathing or meditation practices.
How long does it take to see improvement with TMJ physiotherapy?
Most jaws will feel some pain relief or improvement within the first 1-2 sessions.