Jaw Pain – Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ)
Jaw pain is often caused by abnormal temporomandibular joint (TMJ) alignment. The TMJ can be located by placing your second and third fingertips just in front of the lower end of your earlobes, then opening and closing your mouth. Signs of TMJ dysfunction include locking, grating, clicking, or pain and stiffness with opening and closing the mouth.
The TMJ can often develop faulty movement patterns, particularly after events such as prolonged dental appointments, sitting or standing with poor head posture or eating a large, hard apple. Dysfunction of the TMJ can also be a source of headaches.
Some physiotherapists are trained to assess and treat TMJ function. This generally involves internal mouth mobilisation (a gloved hand technique) to reduce stiffness, massage and exercises to address the specific direction of tightness or weakness. Treatment can also involve advice regarding posture to improve the position and function of the TMJ.
