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TMJ Disorder

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) guides jaw movement. Problems with the TMJ are known as temporomandibular joint disorder or dysfunction (TMD).

TMD is very common; more than 10 million people in the United States have it. If you are one of these people suffering from TMD, visit a PT Central location near you to learn about how we can help relieve your symptoms.

The Causes of TMD

  • Bad posture habits. One of the reasons TMD is so common is because many of us spend a great deal of time sitting at a desk, where we often hold our head too far forward as we work. But there are many other kinds of bad posture. Sitting in the car for a long commute, working at a checkout station, cradling a telephone receiver against the same shoulder for long periods of time, always carrying your child on the same hip—all can place the head in an awkward position and cause jaw problems. The “forward head position” puts a strain on the muscles, disk, and ligaments of the TMJ. The jaw is forced to “rest” in an opened position, and the chewing muscles become overused.
  • Chronic jaw clenching at night (“bruxism”). Many people clench their jaws at night while they sleep, usually because of stress. This puts a strain on the TMJ because of the constant strain on the joint and surrounding muscles.
  • Problems with teeth alignment (“malocclusion”). If your teeth come together in an unusual way, greater stress is placed on your TMJ.
  • Surgery. Following surgery to the face and jaw, there may be a loss in mobility and function of the TMJ.

The Symptoms of TMD

  • Jaw pain
  • Jaw fatigue
  • Difficulty opening your mouth to eat or talk
  • Ringing in your ears
  • Headaches
  • Earaches
  • Popping sounds in your jaw
  • Neck pain
  • Locking jaw

How Can a Physical Therapist Help?

Your physical therapist can help restore the natural movement of your jaw and decrease your pain. If your therapist determines that your jaw pain is not related to teeth alignment, they will select appropriate treatment techniques and teach you special “low-load” exercises that don’t exert a lot of pressure on your TMJ but will strengthen the muscles of the jaw and restore a more natural, pain-free motion.

Treatments used by physical therapists for TMD include:

  • Posture education. Maintaining good sitting posture is key to preventing TMJ problems. Your physical therapist will show you how to maintain good sitting posture to prevent future episodes of TMD. If your therapist finds that you sit with your head in an increased forward position, this means that you are placing greater strain on the muscles beneath your chin, causing the lower jaw to pull back and the mouth to be in an open position even when resting, and increasing stress on the TMJ. You also might be overworking the jaw muscles to force the jaw closed so your mouth isn’t open all the time. Your therapist will teach you to be aware of your posture so that you can improve the resting position of your jaw, head, neck, breastbone, and shoulder blades when you’re sitting and walking.
  • Improve jaw movement. Physical therapists use skilled hand movements called manual therapy to increase movement and relieve pain in tissues and joints. Your therapist also might use manual therapy to stretch the jaw in order to restore normal joint and muscle flexibility (how supple your muscles are) or break up scar tissues (“adhesions”) that sometimes develop when there is constant injury.
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TMD and Headaches

Treating TMD with physical therapy is an effective method to relieve pain and discomfort. Pain from the temporomandibular joint is frequently mistaken as a common headache, mostly because the symptoms are so similar. As noted above, pain radiating from the TMJ comes with locking, popping, stiffness, facial tenderness and pain, and earaches.

In addition to those symptoms, migraines and other severe headaches can be accompanied by nausea, sensitivity to light or sound, and fatigue. However, those suffering from TMD may still experience them, as a TMD headache can trigger a migraine.

Our CEO, Bridgit Finley recently went on Living Oklahoma on Fox news to talk more about how jaw pain and headaches are often times be related. Check it out! https://okcfox.com/features/living-oklahoma/physical-therapy-central-tmd

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TMJ Disorder Treatment Locations

Ada – Physical Therapy Central

1188 North Hills Centre
Ada, OK 74820
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Ardmore – Physical Therapy Central

2015 W Broadway St
Unit 3A
Ardmore, OK 73401
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Bethany – Physical Therapy Central

8006 Northwest 39th Expressway
Bethany, OK 73008
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Blanchard – Physical Therapy Central

845 E. Veterans Memorial Hwy
Blanchard, OK 73010
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Chickasha – Physical Therapy Central

304 South 29th Street
Chickasha, OK 73018
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Choctaw – Physical Therapy Central

14890 SE 29th Street
Suite 101
Choctaw, OK 73020
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Davis – Physical Therapy Central

201 W. Main St.
Davis, OK 73030
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Deer Creek – Physical Therapy Central

7115 NW 150th
Suite 4
Oklahoma City, OK 73142
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Edmond East – Physical Therapy Central

3633 E 2nd St
Edmond, OK 73034
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Edmond North – Physical Therapy Central

1260 West Covell Road
Ste 100
Edmond, OK 73003
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Edmond West – Physical Therapy Central

15101 Lleytons Ct
Edmond, OK 73013
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Elk City – Physical Therapy Central

1007 N. Main
Suite 102
Elk City, OK 73644
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Guthrie – Physical Therapy Central

108 West Harrison Avenue
Guthrie, OK 73044
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Kingfisher – Physical Therapy Central

105 North Main Street
Kingfisher, OK 73750
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Lawton – Physical Therapy Central

910 SW 38th St
Lawton, OK 73505
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Lindsay – Physical Therapy Central

301 East Cherokee Street
Lindsay, OK 73052
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Midwest City – Physical Therapy Central

1124 South Douglas Blvd
Midwest City, OK 73130
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Moore West – Physical Therapy Central

11521 S Western Avenue
Suite A
Oklahoma City, OK 73179
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Mustang – Physical Therapy Central

433 E Hwy 152
Suite 101
Mustang, OK 73064
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Newcastle – Physical Therapy Central

3699 Northwest 32nd Street
Newcastle, OK 73065
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Nichols Hills – Physical Therapy Central

6600 N. Olie Avenue
Suite B
Oklahoma City, OK 73116
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Noble – Physical Therapy Central

307 North Main Street
Noble, OK 73068
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Norman – Physical Therapy Central

440 Merchant Drive
Norman, OK 73069
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Norman West – Physical Therapy Central

2821 36th Avenue Northwest
Suite 130
Norman, OK 73072
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Oklahoma City Midtown – Physical Therapy Central

815 NW 12th St
Oklahoma City, OK 73106
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Oklahoma City South – Physical Therapy Central

8200 S Walker Ave
Suite 103
Oklahoma City, OK 73139
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Oklahoma City Southeast – Physical Therapy Central

6001 South Sooner Road
Suite D
Oklahoma City, OK 73135
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Oklahoma City Southwest – Physical Therapy Central

10740 South May Avenue
Suite 111
Oklahoma City, OK 73170
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Pauls Valley – Physical Therapy Central

34637 Airline Road
Pauls Valley, OK 73075
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Shawnee – Physical Therapy Central

3930 North Kickapoo Street
Shawnee, OK 74804
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St. Anthony North – Physical Therapy Central

6201 North Santa Fe Avenue
Suite 1000
Oklahoma City, OK 73118
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Stillwater – Physical Therapy Central

1405 South Western Road
Stillwater, OK 74074
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Oklahoma City Village – Physical Therapy Central

10908-C N May Avenue
Oklahoma City, OK 73120
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Yukon – Physical Therapy Central

800 Garth Brooks Boulevard
Suite 115
Yukon, OK 73099
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Frequently Asked Questions

  • A physical therapy visit lasts about 40-60 minutes. The actual contents of the visit vary based on your diagnosis/need, but typically what happens is:

    1. You check in with the receptionist, make any appointments necessary, and we discuss your health insurance benefits with you.
    2. You go into the gym. You can change clothes if you need to, then begin therapy.
    3. You perform 6-8 various exercises and stretches. These can include therapeutic band exercises, light body weight exercises, or minimal weights. The stretches will promote strength, stability, improved range of motion, and pain relief.
    4. We can initiate other techniques to include manual work, taping, cupping, and dry needling as needed.
    5. The therapist makes recommendations based on your progress. These can include altering the frequency of visits, making additions/alterations to your home exercise plan, or things to do before your next visit.
  • We recommend budgeting 40-60 minutes for a typical therapy session. The only exception to this will be your first visit, which can take about 20 minutes longer due to the physical therapy evaluation your therapist will provide. We also recommend showing up about 10-15 minutes early to your first visit. This way, you can complete the paperwork before your visit time and streamline the process.

  • If we are asking you to do something that is hurting too much, let us know! Physical therapy should not be severely painful. It is not common to be so sore that patients are in pain or it affects their daily life. If this ever happens during or after an appointment, let us know and we will adapt your program.

  • During your initial evaluation, your therapist may ask you a number of questions to determine what the cause of your pain is. This can include questions about your sleep habits, activity level, and work environment. They will also ask for a medical history, and then typically ask direct questions about where and when you experience pain.

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