What Is TMJ?
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) can cause you pain due to a number of factors, including an injury, clenching your jaw, grinding your teeth, or from arthritis in the jaw joints. Some of the symptoms of TMJ disorder include:
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Stiff or sore jaw
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Frequent or severe headache pain
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Numbness of face or head
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Clicking or popping noises when opening or closing the jaw
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Clenching or grinding teeth
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Discomfort or pain when chewing food
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Facial pain
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Dental sensitivity
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Trouble sleeping
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Muscle stiffness in the neck and shoulders
TMJ and Motor Vehicle Accidents
Following a motor vehicle accident, many individuals complain not only of whiplash-related injuries, but also difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. Non-restorative sleep patterns, together with pain referral from the neck and shoulder area can cause increased bruxism activity at night and, for some individuals, even during the day.
The increased jaw muscle activity can also result in the displacement of one or both TMJ discs. This results in clicking, popping, cracking and jaw locking. The joints can become inflamed, the disc remains displaced, the muscles stay sore, and the pain can worsen. If you have been in a motor vehicle accident, don’t wait to schedule a physical examination. By setting up an appointment in our Toronto office, you can make sure there aren’t further complications to your injury.
Treating TMJ Disorder
The treatment chosen by Dr. Grushka for TMJ disorder depends on the severity of the issue, diagnosed both clinically and often with the help of imaging, including MRI. Often, an important aspect of treatment is sleep management using appropriate therapies, which tend to address pain as well. Once sleep and pain are addressed, bite splint therapy can be helpful as part of the overall approach to decrease the stresses to the TM joints and facial musculature during sleep. Equally important are manual therapy techniques to mobilize the TM joints if there are disc issues, physiotherapy, massage therapy and chiropractic techniques to decrease the neck, shoulder, and jaw discomfort.
Headache Pain/Earaches
Headaches and earaches can be caused by a wide variety of outlying issues, including TMJ disorder. If you’re simply using over-the-counter pain relievers, you might be putting a temporary bandage on a much larger problem. Come in to see us so we can get down to the root of the problem and to determine if your jaw is contributing to your headache and/or your earache pain.
