GC Osteopathy Dr Anna Potts writes about TMD - jaw pain
Tired of lots of jaw pain – let’s give osteopathy a ‘go’
Jaw pain is definitely not very nice. If you suffer from this, you will know what I mean. There can be tension, pain, aching and clicking. It might be hard to open and close your mouth at times and chewing can be really troublesome. Worst case scenario you get jaw-locking as well. This is the world of TMD or Temporomandibular joint dysfunction, if you like to use the full medical term.
Your symptoms may include jaw misalignment, some tension and pain in your neck and maybe headaches too. Some people with TMD get dizziness, earache, hearing problems and upper shoulder pain. Ringing in the ears (called Tinnitus) can also be one of your issues.
In my practice I see situations where TMD has been made worse without my client recognising that he/she is doing this. This might be something simple like jaw clenching and/or jaw grinding (the medics call this Bruxism).
Of course, stress can make TMD worse, as with many things, and sometimes there is a definite outside cause related to an injury. That moment of whiplash when someone ran in to you at the traffic lights or some heavy impact, like when you fell off your ladder and banged your head.
If you have got this far in this blog, you probably have some of the symptoms I am talking about. TMD may have been formally diagnosed; and you may have tried some of the treatments and therapies that are available. The list is long – painkillers, a mouthguard, stress relief techniques, relaxation therapies, posture training and so on.
Can osteopathy help? Yes, it can. Of course, it’s not the magic bullet for everyone but osteopathy can address a wide range of issues that form TMD and it’s a wise decision to give this a go. Number one, I want to try to reduce your pain and I want to look at ways to improve jaw movement. Also, it’s very important to look at the way your jaw pain may be affecting the rest of your body and to ask the question ‘is there another part of the body that is affecting the jaw pain?’ The whole issue could be ‘chicken and egg’!
Osteopathic treatment for TMD may involve intra-oral techniques (treatment inside the mouth), some massage, joint manipulation, targeted stretching, careful joint mobilisation, some cranial osteopathy (which is very gentle) and other techniques.
If you’d like an appointment you can book online. See my About page (Dr Anna Potts) and click on the Book Now button. I look forward to helping you.