Your temporomandibular joint (TMJ) acts like a hinge, connecting your jawbone to your skull. This joint is involved in our everyday lives, for example, eating, talking, and breathing. When there is an injury or repeated stress applied to this joint, however, pain can occur. This is a temporomandibular joint dysfunction(TMD).
The exact cause of a person’s TMD is often difficult to determine. However, your pain may be due to a result of many problems, such as:
In other words, the focus of physiotherapy for TMD is relaxation, stretching, and releasing tight muscles. A treatment plan will also include instruction on exercises and stretches for regaining normal jaw function. A variety of therapeutic techniques will be used such as:
To clarify you should seek medical attention if you have persistent pain or tenderness in your jaw. More importantly, if you have difficulty opening and closing your mouth. Your physiotherapist can assist in discussing possible causes and treatment plans to address your problem.