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Physical Therapy for Temporomandibular (TMJ) Paint in New Jersey
F
requent jaw pain can seriously impact a person’s life, making it difficult to eat and enjoy meals or even to talk.
Centers for Neurosurgery, Spine & Orthopedics (CNSO) treats patients with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain at locations throughout northern New Jersey. CNSO offers physical therapy and other treatment options for a vast number of conditions. Learn more about jaw pain, its risk factors, and care plan options.
What Is the Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ)?
The temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, is a joint that acts like a sliding hinge, on both sides of the face, connecting the jawbone to the skull in front of each ear. The TMJ allows the jaw to move when chewing and talking by sliding and rotating like a sliding hinge. An individual has two TMJs, one at the end of each side of the jaw. Each joint contains a fibrocartilage disk that partially comes out of the socket to allow maximum opening of the mouth.
The TMJ also allows the jaw to move side to side and forward and backward. The TMJ allows the mouth to move in order to talk, kiss, eat, and perform many other daily tasks. It is the most frequently used joint in the body and is consequently subject to a great deal of wear and tear.
What is TMJ Dysfunction?
TMJ dysfunction (TMD) refers to a group of 30 or more medical conditions that cause pain and dysfunction of the TMJ and the muscles that control jaw movement. TMD can include disorders of the joints, discs, and muscles used to control the TMJ.
Signs and Symptoms of TMJ Dysfunction (TMD)
Symptoms of TMDs can include pain in the TMJ, restriction of mandibular movement, and TMJ sounds, such as clicking, popping, or crackling.
There are many signs and symptoms that will lead practitioners to diagnose a patient with TMJ disorders. These may include:
- Pain or tenderness around the jaw
- Pain in one or both temporomandibular joints
- Aching pain in and around the ear
- Difficulty chewing or pain with chewing
- Aching facial pain
- Locking of the joint, making it difficult to open or close the mouth
- Frequent headaches
- In more severe cases, tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
Treatments for TMJ
How can physical therapy help treat TMJ pain and dysfunction? TMJ can be treated by a variety of methods. A CNSO physical therapist will evaluate the cause of pain, determine whether it is TMJ dysfunction or something else, and formulate the best plan of care. This care plan usually includes manual release of the TMJ muscles, mobilization of the joints that make up the TMJ, TMJ exercises, postural exercises, postural education, and education on prevention and self-treatment.
The exact cause of a person’s TMJ disorder often is difficult to determine. Pain may be due to a combination of factors, such as genetics, arthritis, or jaw injury. Some people who tend to clench or grind their teeth (bruxism), may have jaw pain. Others habitually clench or grind their teeth and never develop TMJ disorders.
In most cases, the pain and discomfort associated with TMJ disorders are temporary and can be relieved with self-managed care or nonsurgical treatments. Surgery typically is a last resort after conservative measures have failed, but some people with TMJ disorders may benefit from surgical treatments.
Trust CNSO for Jaw Pain Care
The care team at Centers for Neurosurgery, Spine & Orthopedics (CNSO) understands how debilitating jaw pain can be and how it can limit one’s ability to perform daily tasks. By choosing CNSO each person will be working with a dedicated team of physical therapists and pain management specialists to target the patient’s areas of dysfunction. This helps patients return to their prior level of function. CNSO offers multiple convenient locations across northern New Jersey, including Bergen, Passaic, Essex, Morris, and Hudson counties.
CNSO has multiple specialists who treat facial pain, including physical therapists, neurosurgeons, and pain management specialists. To learn more about effectively treating elbow pain, contact the medical team at CNSO today.
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In order to provide an accurate diagnosis with the most effective treatment option for “back problems” and brain tumors, CNSO is led by neurosurgeons and orthopedic spine surgeons. Under the care of our award-winning neurosurgeons and orthopedic spine surgeons, Northern NJ patients can have the confidence that their medical condition will be handled with consideration for their comfort and long-term well-being as well as technical excellence.
