TMJ syndrome

The temporomandibular joint (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.

Locking jaws

Signs and symptoms of TMJ disorders may include:

Pain or tenderness of your jaw
Pain in one or both of the temporomandibular joints
Aching pain in and around your ear
Difficulty chewing or pain while chewing
Aching facial pain
Locking of the joint, making it difficult to open or close your mouth

TMJ disorders can also cause a clicking sound or grating sensation when you open your mouth or chew. But if there's no pain or limitation of movement associated with your jaw clicking, you probably don't need treatment for a TMJ disorder.

TMJ disorder is not uncommon

The exact cause of a person's TMJ disorder is often difficult to determine. Your pain may be due to a combination of factors, such as genetics, arthritis or jaw injury. Some people who have jaw pain also tend to clench or grind their teeth (bruxism), although many people habitually clench or grind their teeth and never develop TMJ disorders.

Lead a healthy life

Patients need to maintain healthy living habits and a balanced diet.

Commonly used non-surgical treatments include acupuncture, medication, or physical therapy. Spine and physiotherapist will perform a joint X-ray and will relieve the symptoms of swelling and pain with heat or ultrasound depending on the patient's symptoms. If there is a joint dislocation, we will use appropriate techniques to relax the tight muscles and correct the joints.