Looking for jaw pain treatment in Kentwood, MI? Try physical therapy

The joints in your jaw are easy to forget about until one or both of them are suddenly in constant pain. When this happens, it is painful and challenging to use the jaw for talking, eating, laughing or smiling. This might not be a big deal if you’re not much of a talker, but you still have to eat.

So, what causes constant jaw pain? One common cause of jaw pain is temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction. The TMJ is the tiny joint on each side of the jaw that connects the jaw to the skull right at a point right below your ear. This joint can become inflamed due to overexertion that can occur from talking too much or eating a lot of chewy food. 

Constant jaw pain can also be related to arthritis. Arthritis causes the cartilage in your joints to break down, which creates friction between the joints that is painful. This can affect the TMJ as well as your other joints.

Treating jaw pain with physical therapy

Physical therapists are licensed health care professionals who specialize in natural treatments for reducing and preventing pain like that caused by TMJ dysfunction or arthritis. If you have jaw pain, physical therapists can help by providing:

• Therapeutic exercise — Physical therapists can guide you through safe exercises that help improve strength and flexibility in the muscles, tendons and ligaments in your jaw. These exercises may even target your neck since it’s frequently connected to your jaw pain. Improving the strength and flexibility of these muscles and soft tissue helps power the joint for motion and provide stability.
• Manual therapy — Physical therapists can use hands-on methods to gently mobilize the jaw joints. These methods help improve range of motion in the joint, which can help with reducing and preventing pain.
• Posture guidance — Poor neck posture can lead to pain in the jaw. Physical therapists can examine your posture and determine if there are any corrections that can be made to help reduce and prevent jaw pain. 

Visit Advent Physical Therapy in Kentwood, MI, for jaw pain treatment

Are you tired of jaw pain stopping you from smiling or ruining your meals? If you live near Kentwood, Michigan, come by Advent Physical Therapy for treatment. Contact our team today for more information about treating jaw pain or to schedule an initial appointment.