JAW JOINT (TMJ) PAIN
Jaw Joint Pain can be extremely debilitating!
People often find themselves with regular headaches in many locations but mostly behind the eyes, pain in the joint when eating, jaw locking either open or closed.
The illustrations below show you what’s going on in there.
Healthy closed jaw
The Tempero Mandibular Joint (TMJ) has a small disc highlighted here between the Mandible (jaw bone) and the Zygomatic Arch (cheek bone).
It’s called the Intra-Articular Disc.
Healthy open jaw
The Intra-Articular Disc slides forward with the Mandible when you open your mouth, keeping the movement smooth and comfortable.
Then it slides back when you close your mouth.
Anterior disc displacement
For a number of reasons, the Intra-Articular Disc sometimes stays put once you’ve opened your mouth, so when you close it again.
This can be pretty painful.
Above is the most common issue but there is certainly a lot to the diagnosis and treatment of Jaw Joints.
The key to success
Many patients have come to me after trying all sorts of different treatments, one by one, with little success.
The solution is a multidisciplinary approach - getting different therapies and therapists working together is the key to victory!
Everyone is unique and combination treatments will vary, possibilities include:
Mouth splints/Mouth guards
Braces
Myofunctional therapy
Physiotherapy
Ear, nose and throat evaluation and treatments
