Providing a range of TMJ dysfunction treatment in
North Melbourne
As one of Melbourne’s leading Headache pain treatment clinic in North Melbourne; we provide care to those in the Melbourne CBD and to all local residents and surrounding communities including Carlton, Parkville, Kensington, West Melbourne and Docklands.
WHAT IS THE TMJ?
The temporomandibular joint or TMJ acts like a sliding hinge, connecting your jawbone to your skull. You have one joint on each side of your jaw. TMJ disorders — a type of temporomandibular disorder or TMD — can cause pain in your jaw joint and in the muscles that control jaw movement.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF TMJ PAIN?
- Many patients with TMD also have neck and/or shoulder pain.
- Pain is usually periauricular, associated with chewing, and may radiate to the head but is not like a headache.
- It may be unilateral or bilateral in myofascial pain and dysfunction
- The pain is often described as a variable deep ache with intermittent sharp pain with jaw movement.
- Click, pop, and snap: These sounds usually are associated with pain in TMD. The click with pain in anterior disk displacement is due to sudden reduction of the posterior band to normal position.
- Limited jaw opening and locking episodeS
- Headaches: The pain of TMD is not like a usual headache. The TMD may act as a trigger in patients prone to headaches.
WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF TMJ PAIN?
- Malocclusion
- Jaw clenching/bruxism
- Personality disorders
- Increased pain sensitivity
- Stress and anxiety
- Increased muscle tension and spasm
- History of facial trauma
- Poor dental care
HOW CAN WE HELP WITH TMJ PAIN?
Your Osteopath will develop a plan based on a thorough investigation including treating not just the jaw, but the cervical (neck) and thoracic (mid back) to reduce TMJ symptoms. Management techniques to help reduce stress and tension.
