Assessment of the jaw - what is involved?

Before we can address your jaw or temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pains, first we need to work out where the issue lies and what factors are contributing to it.

Just like other parts of your body, your jaw interacts with the rest of your body and it can be affected by other neighbouring structures (e.g. your neck, back and pelvis) and how they function (e.g. posture and walking gait). Other factors may include certain activities like playing a violin for prolonged periods, habits or tendencies such as jaw clenching, and perhaps even stress and/or anxiety that may lead to the jaw clenching itself. Working together to identify potential contributors to your jaw pain is important because it will help create awareness on those issues and will serve as a foundation which we can work off from.

During the physical assessment, some of the things we may look at can include the quality of your jaw movement such as how much movement you have and whether your jaw is tracking well when it opens or closes. We look at potential joint stiffness and muscle tension especially around your jaw, neck and shoulders, in addition to the strength and function of your core because it may affect your posture which subsequently your jaw.

Some of these findings will also need context. Just like how having a disc bulge in your lower back doesn’t always mean that you must be in pain (because it can be a normal finding as we age), having a jaw that doesn’t track well doesn’t always mean your jaw must be painful either. However, when that becomes a trigger for your pain, identifying it and then addressing it can help reduce your pain and improve your function. It is our role as physiotherapists to help you sift through all of this information and put you on the right path to recovery.

If you would like to have an assessment of your jaw, for function or because you believe it may be contributing to symptoms such as pain, headaches, clenching or difficulty eating don't hesitate to contact our clinic and schedule an appointment with Shane, our resident TMJ Physio.

Stay posted for part 2 of Shane's Jaw pain series next month where he details some of the treatment techniques and options for jaw pain and dysfunction.