Painful eating, clicking of the jaw, ear pain, and soreness in the facial muscles are some signs that you might be dealing with “TMD” or “Temporo-mandibular disorder”.
The jaw joint, anatomically called the “temporomandibular joint”, or TMJ for short, can be a common cause of pain. Just like any other joint in the body, the TMJ is controlled by a multitude of muscles which co-ordinate complex movements. When some of these muscles don’t work as intended, it can create dysfunctional movement of the jaw which leads to pain.
How do I know if I have TMD?
The symptoms of TMD can be variable and generally involve pain with some sort of normal movement or function. Some examples include:
- Pain in the face or jaw, especially when waking up in the morning
- Clenching or grinding of the teeth
- Pain when eating, particularly with hard or chewier food
- Pain when yawning or opening the mouth wide
- Clicking, catching, or locking of the jaw joint
- Ear pain associated with jaw movement
How can TMD be treated?
Symptoms associated with TMD are usually caused by some sort of abnormality with the jaw movement. These abnormalities can be caused by reduced function of some jaw muscles, over-activity or tightness of other jaw muscles, an impinged disc within the jaw joint itself or tight ligaments around the joint. A physiotherapist can find these abnormalities and help you correct them, and gradually reduce your symptoms.
How long will it take to fix my TMD?
The answer to this depends on the severity of your symptoms, and the significance of the muscle and joint dysfunction which has caused the symptoms in the first place. Generally, it is expected that symptoms for most people will drastically improve within the first 6 weeks of treatment.
I have a locked jaw, what can I do?
A locked jaw can be unlocked by a trained physiotherapist. It may take multiple sessions to unlock a severely locked jaw. If a jaw has been locked for more than some time, surgery by a maxillofacial surgeon may be necessary to unlock the jaw and avoid longer-term injury.