Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder can affect nearly every aspect of your life. Constant jaw pain and headaches make it challenging to enjoy your favorite activities, get a restful sleep, and eat normally. But the right treatments can help you overcome TMJ pain and start living a more normal life.
Can physical therapy help TMJ disorder? For many patients, it can. At Exchange Physical Therapy Group our physical therapists in Edgewater, NJ, specialize in treatment plans that support jaw health and alleviate pain associated with TMJ dysfunction. Discover how their expert team can help restore comfort and function through targeted physical therapy.
How Does Physical Therapy Help TMJ Disorder?
Physical therapy offers a multi-modal approach to temporomandibular joint disorder, addressing the pain and discomfort that comes from this condition through multiple treatment methods. If you have struggled to treat TMJ disorder in the past, a physical therapist can evaluate your unique condition and provide tailored treatments that offer the best chances of controlling your symptoms and preventing future pain.
These are a few of the ways physical therapy can help with TMJ disorder.
Mobilize the Soft Tissue
Physical therapists use manual therapy techniques to mobilize the soft tissue in the jaw, neck, and mouth, helping relieve muscle tightness and spasms that contribute to your TMJ pain. It can also improve jaw mobility, making it easier to chew and reducing the popping and clicking that often comes with jaw movement.
Reduce Stiffness in the Jaw and Neck
TMJ disorder often creates pain that radiates out from the jaw to the head, neck, shoulders, and upper back, exacerbating the actual symptoms of TMJ disorder while creating greater discomfort and reduced mobility.
Through manual physical therapy, muscle relaxation exercises, and other modalities, such as electrical stimulation, heat and ice, or ultrasound therapy, you can reduce stiffness and pain in these areas, allowing you to engage in everyday activities more easily.
Improve Jaw Movement
Your TMJ symptoms may worsen because your muscles are not strong enough to support jaw movements. A physical therapist can prescribe specific exercises to improve jaw movement, strengthen weak muscles, stretch tight ones, and improve the overall flexibility of your jaw.
For example, the “goldfish exercise” is a common therapeutic exercise for TMJ disorder. It involves placing the tongue on the roof of the mouth while opening and closing the jaw, mimicking the movements of a goldfish’s mouth.
Correct Postural Problems
TMJ often results from poor jaw posture, but other postural issues can also contribute to symptoms. If you do not have healthy forward head posture, your body might experience muscle imbalances that place strain and tension on the jaw joint.
Your physical therapist will work with you to correct postural problems in the head, neck, shoulders, and spine. This often involves strengthening the muscles that support these areas and relearning the proper ways to sit, stand, and walk. Improving posture can help with a wide range of bodily functions and alleviate pain throughout the body.
Promote Education and Self-Awareness
When you visit a physical therapist for TMJ disorder, you gain valuable education that you can use to improve your symptoms both inside and outside the therapy clinic. Your physical therapist will educate you on the root cause of TMJ disorder, lifestyle choices that might worsen your symptoms, and the connection between your jaw and the rest of your body.
With this information, you can make healthier choices throughout your daily life to improve jaw posture and prevent pain so you can focus on what matters again.
Schedule Physical Therapy for TMJ Disorder Today
Can physical therapy help TMJ disorder? It can! With the right physical therapy treatments, you can relieve jaw pain, improve range of motion, and start feeling better overall. Exchange Physical Therapy Group offers personalized physical therapy for TMJ disorder in Edgewater, NJ. We utilize a range of modalities, including dry needling, ultrasound therapy, vestibular physical therapy, and others, to promote long-lasting relief for our patients. Contact us today at (201) 377-1510 to schedule an appointment.
