Written by: Dr. Lisa Bodratti, PT, DPT
Do you suffer from pain in or around your jaw? Do you experience loud or bothersome clicking or popping when you chew your food or yawn? Have difficulty opening your mouth to take a bite of food or feel limited when having long conversations? You may be dealing with issues at your Temporomandibular Joint, commonly known as “TMJ.”
Other symptoms of jaw-related issues can include frequent headaches (especially at your temples, forehead or directly under your skull), neck pain or lack of range of motion, ear aches, tinnitus (ringing in your ears), facial pain, difficulty or discomfort when eating chewy or crunchy foods, or notable movement variations in your jaw when doing things like talking or chewing.
If you feel you are having jaw pain or any of the above issues, PT is the place to be! Our therapists at The Green Room will take a thorough history and perform a complete assessment of your jaw, neck and upper back to better understand the current issue.
In the meantime, here are some tips to help you get out of pain!
Pay attention to your day to day habits…
Problem: Clench your jaw during the day.
Solution: Take a moment to cue into what you are doing at that moment. Relax your jaw and tongue. Try to gently place the tip of your tongue at the back of your top teeth to rest. This should allow for some room between all of your teeth.
Problem: You rest your jaw on your hand, as if propping yourself up.
Solution: Sit or stand up tall and try to pull your shoulder blades backwards 10 times to reset your posture. Your jaw is not a “weight bearing joint” like your knees or ankles are - the jaw bones are not created to hold sustained weight or pressure.
Problem: You chew all of your food on one side.
Solution: Pay attention to the way you chew your food - make sure you are chewing with both sides of your jaw/teeth.
At The Green Room we offer soft tissue mobilization/massage, jaw and neck mobilizations, Class IV laser treatments, and of course appropriate exercises to help address your current issues. Don't hesitate, book your evaluation today and feel better sooner!
Email us your questions! care@thegrpt.com