Jaw Pain
Your temporomandibular joints, commonly referred to as TMJ, are a pair of complex joints that connect your jaw (mandible) with your skull (temporal bone).
They are positioned just in front of your ears and are a workhorse, involved in everything from talking, chewing and yawning to making facial expressions and breathing
Despite their importance in our everyday life, they are rarely thought of until pain or dysfunction occurs. Common symptoms of TMJ dysfunction (sometimes referred to as Temporomandibular Disorders, or TMD) include:
Pain in your jaw, neck, shoulders, ears or head
Headaches, ringing in your ears, or a sense of fullness or pressure
Stiffness, limited movement or locking of your jaw
A feeling that your teeth are not properly aligned when you bite
Clicking, popping or grating when opening or closing your mouth
Dizziness or issues with your vision.
Viewed in simple terms, TMJ pain is like any other joint pain – it can be coming from the joint itself, associated cartilage and ligaments, overlying muscles, or referring from other areas of the body. It may also be impacted by other factors such as poor posture and joint biomechanics, chronic health conditions or psychological stress.
However, because of the complexity of the joint, TMJ pain is often more difficult to manage than other joint pain, and dysfunction requires assessment and treatment from a suitably qualified professional. Our clinicians have extensive experience in helping patients understand, manage and recover from their jaw pain, and use a combination of advice and education, manual therapy, soft tissue therapy and exercise.