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A PT’s Guide to TMJ Treatments

7004634976 • November 8, 2024

1. The Mysterious TMJ

First things first: What’s the deal with TMJ? It stands for the temporomandibular joint—the hinge that connects your jawbone to your skull. Think of it as the gateway to chewing, talking, and occasionally yelling at slow drivers 😁. When we have dysfunction, we’ll actually call it TMD – temporomandibular dysfunction (but when you come in saying you have TMJ…I get it!).

2. The Drama Queen Joint

The TMJ doesn’t like to be overworked or stressed and it lets us KNOW. It throws tantrums in the form of pain, stiffness, and clicks. But we can do something about it!

3. The PT’s Toolbox

a. Manual Magic

Manual therapy is our secret weapon. We work outside AND inside muscles in order to decrease the tension we’ve been building all day because of life in general. 😊

b. Exercise

Yes. We most certainly exercise the jaw and we do it by more than talking (though my twin 6 year old boys think they need to exercise it ALL DAY LONG). We provide different jaw, neck and even upper back exercises to improve posture (see below), stabilize and see those long term results.

4. The Forward Head Posture Conspiracy

Your head is like a bowling ball perched on your neck. If it leans forward (thanks, smartphones), your TMJ gets annoyed. It ESPECIALLY gets irritable if we lean forward with our chin in our hand. PTs understand compensation patterns and will get you back on track.

5. The PT-Dentist Tag Team

I have worked hard to develop excellent relationships with many of the local dentists and if yours isn’t one of them? I’ll reach out! I do this because we do best if we tag-team this TMJ situation. We chat, we strategize, and we high-five (mentally, of course). Communication is key regarding therapy, benefits of splints, etc.



And there you have it! Our whirlwind tour of TMJ treatments. 🦷💪

Sources:

  1. Physical Therapy and the TMJ
  2. Incorporating Physical Therapy Into Your TMJ Treatment
  3. A Proposed Diagnostic Classification of Patients With TMDs
  4. Understanding TMJ Disorders and the Role of Physical Therapy

Physical Therapy for Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJ)

A PT’s Guide to TMJ Treatments

By 7004634976 • 08 Nov, 2024
1. The Mysterious TMJ First things first: What’s the deal with TMJ? It stands for the temporomandibular joint—the hinge that connects your jawbone to your skull. Think of it as the gateway to chewing, talking, and occasionally yelling at slow drivers 😁. When we have dysfunction, we’ll actually call it TMD – temporomandibular dysfunction (but when you come in saying you have TMJ…I get it!). 2. The Drama Queen Joint The TMJ doesn’t like to be overworked or stressed and it lets us KNOW. It throws tantrums in the form of pain, stiffness, and clicks. But we can do something about it! 3. The PT’s Toolbox a. Manual Magic Manual therapy is our secret weapon. We work outside AND inside muscles in order to decrease the tension we’ve been building all day because of life in general. 😊 b. Exercise Yes. We most certainly exercise the jaw and we do it by more than talking (though my twin 6 year old boys think they need to exercise it ALL DAY LONG). We provide different jaw, neck and even upper back exercises to improve posture (see below), stabilize and see those long term results. 4. The Forward Head Posture Conspiracy Your head is like a bowling ball perched on your neck. If it leans forward (thanks, smartphones), your TMJ gets annoyed. It ESPECIALLY gets irritable if we lean forward with our chin in our hand. PTs understand compensation patterns and will get you back on track. 5. The PT-Dentist Tag Team I have worked hard to develop excellent relationships with many of the local dentists and if yours isn’t one of them? I’ll reach out! I do this because we do best if we tag-team this TMJ situation. We chat, we strategize, and we high-five (mentally, of course). Communication is key regarding therapy, benefits of splints, etc. And there you have it! Our whirlwind tour of TMJ treatments. 🦷💪 Sources: Physical Therapy and the TMJ Incorporating Physical Therapy Into Your TMJ Treatment A Proposed Diagnostic Classification of Patients With TMDs Understanding TMJ Disorders and the Role of Physical Therapy Physical Therapy for Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJ)
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