Treatment of jaw pain
So you’ve had an assessment and we have a plan in place. Next on the to-do list will be to treat your jaw pain according to the plan! The general prognosis (outcome) in treating jaw pain or temporomandibular disorders is promising. According to Gil-Martinez et. al. (2018) mild-to-moderate cases of temporomandibular disorders respond well to conservative treatments, meaning that they are unlikely to require surgery.
Physiotherapists are well-positioned to treat jaw pain and temporomandibular disorders because we can address them through multiple forms of management, enabling us to adopt a holistic approach. We also encourage a multi-disciplinary approach in treating your jaw pains to achieve the best possible outcome. Here is a short, non-exhaustive list of how we can treat your jaw pains.
Manual therapy - Joint glides and mobilisations this helps to reduce joint and ligamentous restrictions, which can be a contributor to pain.
Soft tissue release techniques - help to reduce excess muscle tension and provide relief from pain.
Dry needling and acupuncture - to treat myofascial trigger points (i.e. muscle knots) and referred pain
Exercise therapy - including stretching and assisted movements to improve mobility especially in the jaw, neck, shoulders and your upper back. Strengthening exercises around the jaw, neck and shoulders help maintain good postural control which will reduce the strain on your jaw. Additionally jaw tracking exercises are prescribed to improve the quality of movement from the jaw, which will help to reduce pain and/or clicking sensations.
Discussion on strategies to help manage symptoms at home - including improved postural awareness and cues to help maintain it through the day-
Adjunct medications - (under the guidance of your doctor), non-steroidal anti-inflammatories can be helpful to help settle acute pain and inflammation in your jaw
Dental interventions - (under the guidance of your dentist)- Splint therapy can help to reduce jaw clenching which is a common driver of jaw pain-
If you have been suffering from jaw pain, headaches or chronic jaw clenching why not consider booking in an Assessment with our Physiotherapist Shane to start your Jaw Pain treatment plan and resolve your symptoms.
Shane is available for appointments at our Bowral Clinic, contact us on (02) 4861 1223 for appointments.