Jaw Pain (TMJ dysfunction)

What is temporomandibular (TMJ) dysfunction and is there anything you can do about it?The temporomandibular joints connect your lower jaw to your skull and assist in chewing and speaking movements. TMJ dysfunction occurs when the muscles and ligaments around your jaw joints become inflamed or irritated.

What is temporomandibular (TMJ) dysfunction and is there anything you can do about it?

The temporomandibular joints connect your lower jaw to your skull and assist in chewing and speaking movements. TMJ dysfunction occurs when the muscles and ligaments around your jaw joints become inflamed or irritated. The condition may be acute or chronic and pain may range from mild to severe.

symptoms of tmj dysfunction

You might have one or several of the following symptoms and signs of TMJ dysfunction

Jaw pain or discomfort, worse with chewing
Facial pain or aching around your ear
“Locking” of the jaw, difficulty opening your mouth wide
A “clicking” or “grating” noise when you chew
Headache (temples, around the eyes or jaw)
Earache
Neck or shoulder pain
An uneven, uncomfortable bite

Causes of TMJ dysfunction include:

Dental issues
An improper bite
Bruxism (Jaw clenching/teeth grinding) may be linked to stress
Injury to the jaw
Wear and tear or osteo-arthritis of the joint
Head or neck injury

It’s more common in people aged 20-40 and affects women more than men. However it can affect people of all ages and children can also suffer from bruxism.

Top tips for jaw pain

Use an ice pack 10 minutes for acute pain, do your jaw stretches (provided by your osteopath) then use a heat pack for 5 minutes. Do this 2-3 x times a day
Eat soft foods and avoid hard crunchy foods
Wear a splint or night guard. I recommend MyoMunchee which can be purchased online www.myomunchee.com.au
See your dentist to correct and align your bite
Avoid extreme jaw movements (Keep yawning and chewing to a minimum if possible)
Avoid overuse of the jaw (eg chewing gum)
Practice good posture to reduce neck and facial pain.
Keep your teeth slightly apart as often as you can to relieve pressure on the jaw. To control clenching or grinding during the day, place your tongue on the palate behind your upper front teeth.
Learn relaxation techniques to help control muscle tension in the jaw.
Stretching and massage. Your osteopath can show you exercises to stretch and strengthen your jaw muscles and how to massage the muscles yourself.

osteopathy and jaw pain

An osteopathic approach to TMJ dysfunction is to treat the painful jaw and look at how the body is functioning as a whole.

On assessment, we’ll look at your general posture, movement and restrictions of the thoracic spine, upper ribs and cervical spine including the occipito-atlantal and atlanto-axial joints. We’ll feel for tension of the masseter muscles (outside the jaw), suboccipitals, temporalis and intra-orally the pterygoid muscles (inside the jaw), Cranially your osteopath will take into account strains of the temporal bone, zygoma and mandible.

Osteopathic treatment for TMJ dysfunction is aligned with the principles of osteopathy and aims to restore balance to the whole:

The body is a whole, integrated unit
Structure is related to function
Each system is inter-related
The body has self-healing and self-regulating mechanisms

For TMJ dysfunction an osteopath will generally use the following techniques:

soft tissue and inhibition for the masseter and pterygoid muscles
joint articulation and functional techniques applied to the upper cervical spine, ribs and upper thoracic spine
indirect techniques for the TMJ
biodynamic osteopathy to address any underlying cranial strains and allow the autonomic nervous system to come to a point of rest and stillness.
In addition to hands-on treatment I can provide you with specific exercises for your jaw pain, tips on relaxation techniques and lifestyle advice to assist your recovery.
You may also require referral to a dentist for additional support