Jaw pain? Problems with opening your mouth? Headaches?
Jaw physiotherapy (temporo-mandibular joint specialization)
Now, physiotherapy can help you. Temporo-mandibular physiotherapy is a specialization of this profession. We can make the assessment and treatment of the temporo-mandibular joint and also of the body's parts related to it. It means that a jaw problem can be related to other dysfunctions, like : located either at cervical level, high cervical vertebras, cranium bones, mastication muscles, facial muscles, swallowing muscles, postural muscles or even at the diaphragm level. Theses dysfunctions can be linked all together and make your problem last for a long time if you are not treated.
Risk factors of jaw problems
The temporo-mandibular joint can be dysfunctional for different reasons : a direct trauma on the jaw, an over-use of your joint (cheewing gum), a postural problem (if your head is too much leaned foward, it can produce too much muscle tension on your jaw), an hypermobility or instability of this joint (if it moves in a too large range of motion, it can do a dislocation), a congenital problem (a birth malformation), a meniscal problem inside your joint, ...
Physiotherapy treatment
Your physical therapist can help you solve this problem. After finding the causes of your problems, he will elaborate a treatment plan that will be adapted for you. It can be postural or stretching exercises. He can also use the electrotherapy (ultrasounds) to decrease your pain and inflammation. Though, your physical therapist's best tools are his hands! He can use different manual techniques (outside or inside your mouth, with sterile medical gloves) in order to stretch the muscles that are too much tensed, or in order to decrease tension (compression) inside the joint.
If you think you have jaw related problems that slow you down, don't wait before contacting us! We can help you to get back to your normal life!