What is the Temporomandibular Joint?
The Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ), is the hardest working little joint in your body, the hinge between the upper and lower jaw. The average person will open and close their mouth approximately 2000 times a day this can be load bearing (biting and chewing) and non-load bearing (talking, yawning, making faces etc) When things go wrong the collective term is Temporomandibular dysfunction. This is a collective term for a number of conditions that affect the TMJ; some of these cause pain directly to the area affected and some can cause pain in a more dispersed pattern. Apart from chronic low back pain, TMD is the most common form of musculoskeletal pain.
Who does it affect?
In Ireland the statistics indicate that 1 person in 10, Typically if affects women more often then men (4:1 ratio), in an age range of 35 to 45 years.
What causes it?
The causes are debated still, but most people believe they fall into the following categories:
Problems related to the muscles that attach around the jaw that facilitate the opening and closing of the mouth, or changes to the actual joint itself. These in turn can be caused by any of the following
- Macro-trauma (direct blow or prolonged mouth opening eg. from dental treatments or intubation).
- Micro-trauma (behaviours such as clenching the Jaw or grinding the teeth at night, chewing gum, smoking, nail biting).
- Disease/ inflammatory process.
- Genetics (variations in the bony morphology or dentition may be factors).
- Hormonal (Use of certain oral contraceptives may be a factor).
- Central sensitization (other related pain problems).
How does it affect us?
The most obvious and distressing way it affects us is pain. Pain in the jaw but also anywhere else around the face, around the eye, teeth and ears. It can feel like a headache or it can also cause a ringing in the ears. But it can also cause clicking and in some cases the difficulty opening and closing the actual mouth. People can find they need to avoid certain kinds of foods or restrict their social activity because of it, this of course can lead to issues of loneliness and isolation.
What can be done about it?
Physical therapy is considered the best first treatment option of TMJ dysfunction, a combination of manual treatments, exercise treatments, advice and postural adjustment strategies are all involved. Each one is tailored to the individual, as each case has a unique cause or combination of causes.
