TMJ / Jaw Pain
The TMJ is the hinge where your jaw meets your skull, just in front of the ear. TMJ disorders (TMD) can cause jaw pain, clicking, popping, locking, ear pain and headaches, and physical therapy can help by easing the muscles and joints and changing the habits that strain them. Western Slope Rehab and Performance provides TMJ physical therapy in Grand Junction, Fruita, Palisade, Orchard Mesa, Appleton, Clifton and the Redlands.
What TMD feels like
TMD means a problem with the jaw joint or the muscles that move it. People notice:
Jaw pain when chewing
Aching in front of the ear or along the jaw, worse with tough foods or wide yawns.
Jaw clicking and popping
Noises when you open or close. Clicking without pain is common, but pain with it is worth checking.
Jaw locking or lockjaw
The jaw catches or will not open fully.
Ear pain and headaches
Pressure near the ear or temples, sometimes mistaken for an ear problem.
What tends to bring it on
- Clenching your jaw
- Teeth grinding (bruxism)
- Stress
- Neck and head posture
- A blow to the jaw or whiplash
- Arthritis in the joint
Working with your dentist and night guard
A night guard protects teeth from grinding. Physical therapy works on a different part of the problem: the muscles, joint motion and daily habits. The two fit together, and many patients use both. Tell us what your dentist has recommended, and we will build around it.
If clenching is part of your picture, we teach you to notice it and release it during the day, such as resting your tongue up with your teeth apart.
What a TMJ visit includes
- A look at how far and how smoothly your jaw opens, and at your neck and posture
- Jaw mobilization and gentle manual therapy for the jaw and neck muscles
- Jaw exercises that improve control and range
- Dry Needling for tight chewing or neck muscles when it fits
- Relaxation and habit training for clenching
When it is really your neck or a headache
The jaw and upper neck work as a unit, so we treat both. If your headaches come from the neck rather than the jaw, see Headaches & Migraines and Neck Pain.
Related care
Open and chew with less pain
We serve Grand Junction, Fruita, Palisade, Orchard Mesa, Appleton, Clifton and the Redlands. You can start physical therapy without a referral from a doctor in most cases. Some insurance plans, including Medicare, still need a doctor to sign the plan of care. Call (970) 314-9822 or see Direct Access.
We see patients from Grand Junction and the surrounding Grand Valley: Fruita, Palisade, Orchard Mesa, Appleton, Clifton and the Redlands.