Jaw disorders, also known as temporomandibular disorders, or TMDs, are a common musculoskeletal disorder affecting the jaw joint, the surrounding muscles and associated structures (eg. neck and teeth).
Common signs and symptoms include:
- Local jaw pain
- Pain around the jaw and muscles of mastication
- Limited mouth movements
- TMJ sounds (eg., clicking, grinding, clunking)
- Headaches and dizziness
An experienced physiotherapist with training in TMDs can effectively assess and manage the condition.
Treatments may include manual therapy, targeted exercises, education, dry needling and addressing any neck/postural issues. Often, some lifestyle changes need to be made (eg., no gum chewing, avoiding clenching, etc) to help promote tissue healing.
Reza Ghannadan, Physiotherapist, has been helping clients manage their TMD for over 10 years. The majority of his clinical practice involves helping clients in this area. He has collaborated with many dentists and TMJ Specialists and spoken at several Dental Study Clubs on the physiotherapy management of TMDs.
If you have any questions about whether TMJ Physiotherapy is right for you, please email reza@attivophysio.com
