TMJ Disorders – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Does it hurt when you yawn, chew food, or sing? Are you having difficulty eating a sandwich or biting into a bagel? Have you felt more stress recently? Do you clench or grind your teeth? If you answered “yes,” you may be experiencing temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) or TMJ.  We tend to forget that we have muscles in our face, and they tighten up just as the quadriceps in our legs do! Many people habitually and unknowingly clench or grind their teeth. In addition, stress is another growing cause of concern. Dentists are seeing a rise in TMJ in millennials due to stress. The temporomandibular joint is a hinge joint where the skull attaches to the jaw. TMJ disorders are a group of conditions that can cause pain in your jaw joint and the muscles that control jaw movement. An estimated 10 million Americans suffer from TMJ disorders. They are more common in women than men and often go undiagnosed.

What Is a Temporomandibular Disorder?

A temporomandibular disorder refers to problems affecting the jaw joint and the surrounding jaw muscles that control opening your mouth, chewing, and speaking. When these muscles or the joint itself become irritated, inflamed, or tight, it can lead to pain and difficulty with everyday movements.

You may notice tightness, stiffness, or discomfort on one side of your face when you open your mouth or move your jaw side to side. These symptoms can make simple activities like eating or talking feel challenging.

Risk Factors for TMJ Disorders

To locate the temporomandibular joint, place your fingers in front of your ears and open and close your mouth. Muscles around the jaw joint control jaw position and jawbone movement. While the exact cause of a TMJ disorder can be difficult to pinpoint, risk factors and causes include:

• The disk erodes or moves out of its proper alignment
• Medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis
• The joint or jaw is damaged due to injury or impact
• Long-term (chronic) grinding or clenching of teeth
• Certain connective tissue diseases that affect the temporomandibular joint
• Excessive stress
• Hormones and vitamin deficiencies

Common Habits That Can Worsen TMJ Symptoms

Many daily habits can place additional stress on the jaw and worsen symptoms over time. These include:

• Teeth grinding, especially at night
• Jaw clenching during stress or concentration
• Frequent gum chewing or eating very chewy foods
• Resting your jaw in a tense position instead of keeping your teeth apart

These habits increase strain on the jaw muscles and can contribute to ongoing tightness and discomfort. Becoming aware of these patterns is an important step toward reducing symptoms.

TMJ Signs and Symptoms

• Cheek or jaw pain or tenderness
• Popping, clicking, or locking of joints
• Pain in one or both of the temporomandibular joints
• Headache or neck pain
• Dizziness and muscle spasms
• Aching pain in and around your ear or ringing
• Difficulty chewing or pain while chewing
• Aching facial pain or swelling
• Can’t open or close your jaw completely

How Physical Therapists Treat Symptoms of TMJ

TMJ sufferers usually experience temporary pain and discomfort, which can be relieved or managed with self-care or nonsurgical treatments. Surgery is typically the last resort after physical therapy and other conservative measures. Ivy Rehab offers a treatment program for TMJ.

Treatment options include: 

• Heat or ice for pain relief and less inflammation
• Massage to relax neck/facial muscles, improve joint mobility
• Stretching/strengthening of the jaw to improve the range of motion
• Neuromuscular re-education to improve jaw movement
• Ultrasound and electric stimulation
• Jaw exercises to improve daily activities such as eating, yawning, and brushing teeth

Simple TMJ Exercises You Can Try at Home

Gentle exercises can help improve how you move your jaw and reduce stiffness. Perform these slowly and without pain:

1. Controlled Mouth Opening: Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth and slowly open your mouth, then close it. This helps guide proper movement.
2. Jaw Side-to-Side Movement: Gently move your jaw side to side in a controlled motion. Keep the movement small and pain-free.
3. Relaxed Jaw Positioning: Allow your teeth to stay slightly apart with your tongue resting gently on the roof of your mouth. This position helps reduce jaw clenching.
4. Resistance Exercise: Place your hand under your lower jaw and gently resist as you open your mouth. This can help strengthen the muscles safely.

These exercises are designed to help you move the jaw more comfortably and improve function without pain.

Many people sit too much during the day – at work, at home, in a car – with forwarding head posture. This increases strain on the TMJ disk, muscles, and ligaments. Physical therapy incorporates postural training to improve alignment and reduce strain on these muscles/joints. At home, patients are encouraged to follow an exercise program, practice self-massage techniques, maintain proper head posture, and use a foam roller. Monitoring daily habits, avoiding hard-to-chew foods, and using gum/pens help prevent aggravating TMJ pain. PTs also teach how to relax the jaw during stressful activities such as driving and working. The good news is that behavioral therapy, along with posture correction during daily activities, has been shown to help alleviate myofascial pain and increase mouth-opening range of motion.

If you are having any of these issues, speak to your physician, dentist, or Ivy Rehab physical therapist regarding treatment options to reduce your pain and improve your quality of life!