What is TMJ?
Apart from being a tongue twister, the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is in front of the ear where the skull and lower jaw (mandible) meet. It essentially connects your jaw to your skull and you use it more often than you might realise as you go about your daily life.Why does my TMJ hurt?
Most TMJ pain stems from injury or damage to the TMJ. This damage could have come from a number of different factors. Commonly we see our patients tell us about their TMJ pain emanating from a few specific events and lifestyle issues, including:- Impact where you run into something or a foreign item hits you in the face
- General wear and tear
- Misalignment of the teeth or jaw
- Teeth grinding or gum chewing
- Poor posture
- Stress
- Arthritis
How do I know if I have TMJ syndrome?
TMJ dysfunction is hard to diagnose through the internet, but you may be suffering from it if you can identify with any of the following symptoms:- Pain in the area of the TMJ or jaw joint
- Clicking or stiff jaws
- Consistent and recurring earaches
- Jaw locking
- Headaches or localised pain in your temples
- Ears popping
What can I do if I have TMJ pain?
Thankfully, this is one of those health problems that can ease with the right treatment for your TMJ pain and through exercises. in this video one of our nurses, Elena, will take you through some specific TMJ exercises that you can do right now to ease your TMJ pain:You should experience some immediate relief after doing these exercises on a regular basis.
If your pain persists or you would like to understand what your other treatment options could be then our friendly and caring team will be able to help you:
Or you can book an appointment by calling us on (03) 9459 6300 during business hours
