TMD stands for temporomandibular joint disorder. This refers to any dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).
TMJ dysfunction occurs when the muscles and ligaments around your jaw joints become inflamed or irritated. The condition may be acute or chronic, and the resulting pain may be mild or severe.
TMD common symptoms:
- Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) pain, originating from masticatory muscles, clicking, popping, or grating sounds in the jaw joint
- Neck pain (locally or remote to the shoulder blades & arms)
- Headache
- Orofacial pain (non-muscular facial pain)
What does physiotherapy treatment entail?
Medical Acupuncture:
Medical acupuncture or dry needling is a Western approach to treat musculoskeletal pain.
The effectiveness of Medical Acupuncture for various myofascial and TMD related pain syndromes is well supported by research.
Manual Therapy:
Manual therapy techniques that mobilize and release joints, soft tissue and other tissues, play a major role in treatment sessions, as they promote healing in the area.
Therapeutic Exercise and Education:
Medical Acupuncture and Manual therapy are passive tools that cannot train muscles, as they only provide a temporary answer to pain and dysfunction. An individually tailored therapeutic exercise program is clinically proven as the optimal ‘medicine’ for most musculoskeletal and other health related conditions.
How long will it take until I feel an improvement?
In most cases patients with TMD condition will see some improvement with bi-weekly sessions (30 - 45 min). A positive response to treatment is vital to ascertain that the problem is indeed of a musculoskeletal origin. If you do not improve within that timeframe, you are likely to be referred for further medical investigations.
Α chronic TMD condition (> 6 months), may take longer to improve and prognosis is on a case-by-case basis.
