Are You Living With Jaw Pain? TMJ Could Be The Culprit
Do you suffer from headaches, grinding of your teeth, clicking of your jaw, or even ear pain? You’re not alone! These can all be signs of a condition known as Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ).
This is a disorder of the jaw muscles and nerves caused by injury to the TMJ (the temporomandibular joint), which is the joint between your jaw and skull. A physical therapist can take a look at your symptoms and help to diagnose you if this is what has been causing your discomfort! If you’re living with this condition, don’t fret! The skilled physical therapists at Rebound Physical Therapy are here to help you find true pain relief once and for all. Call our clinic today and cut the cord tying you to your pain!
Our Patients Get Great Results
“I’ve been a patient with Rebound Physical Therapy for over a year now and have thoroughly enjoyed my experience through the process of healing and recovery. Every meeting I’ve had has been fun and friendly, even when the work was hard! Steve is incredibly thorough and thoughtful, and I appreciate everything he has done to help me. If I’m ever needing physical therapy again, I will be coming back! Thank you so much!” — L.K.
Common Causes of TMJ Disorder
According to ChoosePT, TMJ disorder is so common that it currently affects more than 10 million people in the United States. That’s a lot! There are several reasons you may be experiencing symptoms of temporomandibular joint disorder.
Multiple factors contribute to the muscle tightness and dysfunction that characterize this condition. Most often, poor posture and neck alignment change the pull of the muscles that make your jaw move. This causes painful grinding and irritation of the temporomandibular joint.
Other causes may include:
- Poor alignment of or trauma to the teeth or jaw (malocclusion)
- Clenching of the jaw (bruxism)
- Lockjaw (trismus)
- Teeth grinding
- Poor posture
- Stress
- Arthritis or other inflammatory musculoskeletal disorders
- Excessive gum chewing
When you see a physical therapist for pain relief for TMJ disorder, they may ask you questions about your daily life, including stressors and chronic conditions that could be causing your pain.
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Symptoms of TMJ
There are several ways to know if you may be dealing with TMJ, although the best way to find out for sure is to visit a Rebound Physical Therapy physical therapist!
When a person has TMJ, the injured joint leads to pain with chewing, clicking, and popping of the jaw; swelling on the sides of the face; nerve inflammation; headaches; tooth grinding; and sometimes dislocation of the temporomandibular joint.
The bad news is that this condition can make everyday things such as talking and eating pretty uncomfortable. The good news is that a lot can be done to help TMJ disorder, first starting with a thorough evaluation of your problem with our expert physical therapists!
How Can a Physical Therapist Help with TMJ?
Dentists and orthodontists aren’t the only ones who can treat TMJ disorder. Physical therapists can as well. At your first appointment with Rebound Physical Therapy, a thorough examination of your neck, shoulders, and thoracic spine will be performed to determine whether those structures are causing your symptoms.
Once the root cause of your problem has been discovered, a comprehensive plan can be developed to quickly relieve your pain and restore natural movement to your temporomandibular joint. Furthermore, our physical therapists will teach you techniques for regaining normal jaw movement for long-lasting results.
The focus of physical therapy for TMJ is relaxation, stretching, and releasing tight muscles and scar tissue. In most cases, physical therapy can resolve TMJ and prevent the need for surgery.
However, in cases where surgery is absolutely necessary, physical therapy is a vital part of the recovery process, as it helps minimize scar tissue formation, muscle tightness and allows for a complete recovery.
Your recovery plan may involve a range of procedures and modalities, such as jaw exercises, soft tissue massage, joint mobilization, myofascial methods, electrical stimulation, and ultrasound. Your PT will also work with you on improving your posture as well since this can contribute to TMJ-related pain.
Give Us a Call Today
If you’re experiencing jaw pain and discomfort, it’s highly recommended to contact Rebound Physical Therapy and schedule an appointment for a thorough evaluation of your condition. Our team of physical therapists will make every effort to provide you with the pain relief you need and alleviate any discomfort you may feel while speaking, chewing, yawning, and more. Don’t hesitate to reach out and let us help you regain your comfort.
What are you waiting for? Relief is just a call away, so reach out today to set up an appointment!
Rebound Physical Therapy is excited to announce the addition of Amanda Dunne to the physical therapy team in Boise!
Amanda fell in love with physical therapy as an All-American Track & Field athlete at the University of Missouri. After graduating from Mizzou with her Masters in Physical Therapy in 2006, Amanda competed at the US Olympic Trials in 2008 and 2012 in the mile and 5K respectively. Amanda’s background and passion for sport and being active was a natural fit for outpatient physical therapy. She is passionate about helping her patients improve their health, strength and mobility. Amanda loves treating all patients – from pediatric to geriatric, athletes to aspiring athletes, and everyone in between. For the past 17 years, Amanda has taken great joy talking to patients about their rehab goals and helping them achieve those goals while working to increase their overall quality of life.
Amanda and her husband have four girls and enjoy spending time outdoors, running, camping, boating and traveling. In addition to being a mom and a PT, Amanda loves coaching, volunteering and pouring into the community. She is involved in Girls on the Run, volunteering at her church and Dallas Harris Elementary. After living in Iowa, Missouri and Tennessee, Amanda has been excited to be working with patients in the Treasure Valley for the past 5 years.
Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken
Ingredients:
- 1-2 lbs chicken breasts, boneless/skinless
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 3 avocados, diced
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1/2 red onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
Directions:
- In a bowl, combine the garlic, olive oil, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Place chicken breasts and marinade into a large Ziploc bag or into the bowl of marinade, tossing to coat thoroughly.
- Refrigerate until ready to grill (at least 1 hour of marinating is best).
- Grill chicken over medium heat for about 6 minutes per side, or until no longer pink/cooked through.
- While chicken is cooking, combine the avocado, tomato, red onion, cilantro, and lime juice in a bowl.
- To serve, place chicken breast on plate with desired amount of topping over it. Enjoy!
Manual Therapy
Are you recovering from a recent injury or surgical procedure? Are you experiencing the aches and pains from an underlying condition? If so, manual therapy can provide you with relief.
At Rebound Physical Therapy, our physical therapists have several tools in their arsenal to relieve your pain while simultaneously improving your physical function, including manual therapy. For more information on how our manual therapy services can aid you in your recovery process, contact our physical therapists to schedule a consultation.
Is manual therapy safe?
The short answer – yes! Manual therapy is non-invasive and it doesn’t involve any harmful drugs or surgical correction. Instead, it involves a variety of techniques aimed at moving your tendons, ligaments, and joints in ways that facilitate pain relief and healing.
What exactly is manual therapy?
Manual therapy is also referred to as “hands-on therapy.” It is a specialized treatment performed by licensed physical therapists. At your initial appointment, one of our Boise and Meridian physical therapists may prescribe this treatment to you. The treatment is performed by manipulating joints and soft tissue with nothing more than the hands – no intimidating equipment or machines involved!
Manual therapy is used to reduce swelling, relieve pain, improve range of motion, decrease restriction, and mobilize joints. Our physical therapist may conduct targeted massages and stretches to the affected part(s) of your body, as well as manual therapy techniques, to get the results you seek.
Contact us to get started:
Our physical therapists are some of the most dedicated professionals in the area. They are movement experts, equipped in diagnosing and treating painful conditions. After your physical evaluation, our physical therapist will create an individualized treatment plan based on your specific needs. Some targeted exercises may focus on improving strength and balance, while others may focus more on improving your range of motion. All exercises and treatments will be based around the same goal – improving your overall function.
