Jaw pain and TMD

There are many conditions that contribute to Temporomandibular disorders that cause pain and discomfort at the jaw joint and muscles that cause the jaw to move for you to chew, talk and yawn. 

Many people with head, neck and shoulder pain have no idea the primary cause could be the jaw. 

These joint disorders can be classified into three groups: 

1. Dysfunction of the joints :

  • Pain at the joint 

  • The articulating disc is not in it’s normal position. You may hear a clicking or your jaw may get stuck 

  • Degeneration of the bone in the joint, you may hear a crunching sound with opening and closing your jaw

    2. Dysfunction of the muscles: 

  • These involve the chewing muscles 

  • Pain gets worse by applying pressure to the muscle

  • You subconsciously avoid chewy foods like steak or sourdough bread 

  • The pain spreads and you may feel myofascial pain around the neck or through the head even into the back and ribs far from where it started. 

    3. Headaches associated with TMD 

  • Any type of headache can be associated with TMD 

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Causes:

There are many factors that may be contributing to TMD. Causes may include : 

  • Mouth breathing rather than nasal breathing as a child -

  • Bottle feeding rather than breast feeding

  • Major falls or knocks to any part of the head or neck at any time

  • Genetic predisposition

  • Loss of a back tooth

  • Poor swallowing and chewing habits

  • Neck dysfunction

  • Tongue posture

  • Breathing pattern

  • Nervous system tension

  • Poor sleeping habits

  • Posture

  • Cranial strains

Assessment:

  • At More Pathways we have combined multiple fields of research and medical knowledge to appropriately assess your jaw and how it relates to your cranium, neck and rest of the body. 

  • Osteopathically we assess the musculoskeletal system of the jaw, head and neck as well as the entire body to find the root problem. 

  • We also combine myofunctional tests with validated measures to assess the jaw and tongue function. 

  • We look neurologically and test reflexes and cranial nerves. 

  • We even look as far as the feet and how your standing as the proprioception from your feet affects the balance of your jaw! 

  • Breathing has an affect on how well your head and jaw are functioning so we use integrative breathing measures to assess your whole breathing. 

  • With a thorough history into your pain and experience, we get to the root cause of the problem. 

  • We screen and assess for upper airway restrictions which may be contributing to jaw pain and TMD 

Treatment:

  • Osteopathy in the cranial field : this is a gentle approach which involves balancing the movements of the bones, ligaments and muscles which is well suited to jaw pain.

  • Intra-oral techniques : Using a manual technique to release muscles inside of the mouth

  • Osteopathy on the head, neck and shoulders : Gentle mobilisation, soft tissue, balancing and fascial release of surrounding muscles

  • Addressing contributing factors : Working on the whole body and how it all works together

  • Integrative Breathing Therapy : addressing dysfunctional breathing patterns which may be putting too much load on the small muscles around the head and neck

  • Appropriate supplementation : prescribing supplements to help with pain, muscle restoration and sleep

  • Pain education : Addressing pain in the brain has proven to be useful in chronic pain and acute flare ups

  • Send home recourses for self management : Patient recourse information sheets to guide you through self management at home, reducing your need to recurrent and multiple treatments.

  • Appropriate exercises : Exercises to normalise function

  • Guidance on safe jaw practices : Putting together a treatment plan that includes your habits at home

  • Appropriate referrals : More Pathways has close relationships with functional dentists and orofacial myofunctional therapists and will always get you to the right place getting the right form of care.

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Do you suffer any of these symptoms? You may be suffering from TMD :

HEAD PAIN, HEADACHES 

  • Migraine type headaches

  • Forehead

  • Temples

  • Sinus type

  • Shooting pain in the back of the head

EAR PROBLEMS 

  • Hissing, buzzing or ringing

  • Decreased hearing

  • Ear pain, ear aches or recurrent infections

  • Clogged ears

  • Itchy ears

  • vertigo or dizziness

  • Congested feeling in the head

EYES 

  • pain behind the eyes

  • Bloodshot eyes

  • Sunlight sensitivity

SLEEP 

  • Difficulty getting to sleep

  • Waking frequently

  • Waking with neck pain

  • Trouble getting comfortable in bed

  • Waking with a dry mouth

MOUTH 

  • discomfort

  • Limited mouth opening

  • Inability to open smoothly

  • Jaw moves to one side predominately

  • Locks up

  • Uncomfortable bite

  • Missing teeth

NECK 

  • lack of mobility or stiffness

  • Neck pain

  • Tired, sore muscles

  • Shoulder and back aches

  • Arm, finger numbness

JAW PROBLEMS 

  • Clicking, popping

  • Grating sounds

  • Pain in cheek muscles

  • Uncontrollable tongue and jaw movements

THROAT 

  • Swallowing difficulties

  • Laryngitis

  • Sore throats

  • Voice irregularities

  • Constant clearing of throat

  • Lump in the throat

TEETH 

  • clenching during the day or night

  • Grinding at night

  • Looseness and soreness

  • Sensitive teeth