By Andrew J Gaetano, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS

tmj joint pain

Physical Therapy TMJ Specialist Albany, Latham, Saratoga, Queensbury NY

Your jaw, or temporomandibular joint (TMJ), is the most used joint in your body during daily function. Jaw pain and clicking? Not so good!

Just think, every time you talk, chew, swallow, or speak, your jaw is working. It’s estimated in research that you use your jaw 1500-2000 times per day! So it’s not unreasonable to assume a lot of people- whether they even realize it or not- will have problems or dysfunction with their TMJ. This can lead to pain, clicking, limited jaw opening, earaches, tinnitus, and even headaches! Here are a few common problems associated with TMJ dysfunction which may lead to limitations in use of your jaw:

Restricted
motion/opening		 Deviation of one side
of the jaw		 Opening and/or
Closing ‘click’		 Muscle spasm
(also known as Trismus)		 Poor posture
tmj2 tmj 3 tmj 4 tmj 5 tmj 6

How To Identify TMJ

Can you tell if you’re one of the many people with TMJ dysfunction? If you have clicking in your jaw, you have an issue and may not even know it. You may have seen your dentist or doctor if you have experienced these symptoms. Physical therapists, especially those with a board certified specialty in orthopedics, can help too (not all physical therapists are comfortable treating those with jaw pain).

Get Help For Jaw Pain & Clicking

How the physical therapists at Capital Area PT can help with:

  • Postural Correction
  • Soft tissue mobilization and massage to reduce muscle spasm
  • MJ joint mobilization techniques to improve motion and reduce pain
  • Jaw and neck exercise to reduce stress on the joint, reduce muscle tension, and improve motion
  • Education on how you can care for yourself, outside of the clinic

Contact the physical therapy TMJ specialists for the Saratoga Springs and Queensbury – Glens Falls NY region. For information on we can help with jaw pain and clicking, call  518-289-5242 to set up an appointment at one of our physical therapy offices conveniently located in Malta, Latham, or Queensbury.