Contact Details
(Trowse Chiropractic Adelaide)
| Address: 399 Goodwood Rd Westbourne Park SA 5041 |
| Phone: (08) 8271 9577 |
| Email: info@trowsechiropractic.com.au |
Chiropractic Condition Adelaide
Jaw & Face Pain
Jaw pain or temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) is surprisingly very common. Suffering from jaw pain and face pain can be incredibly frustrating and can significantly affect your quality of life.
At Trowse Chiropractic Adelaide we see a variety of patients with jaw pain and facial pain. Our Gonstead chiropractors use a variety of assessment tools and treatment techniques to manage jaw pain and related symptoms such as jaw clicking and locking.
The Problem
The jaw or temporomandibular joint (TMJ) are the two, highly complex joints connecting your lower jaw to the skull.
The joints are surrounded by lots of muscles (68 pairs to be exact) immediately on each side of the head. They allow you to chew, yawn, speak and swallow, and are in constant use. Although the TMJ is very strong, it is still susceptible to injury.
An injury can lead to poor movement/tracking patterns of the jaw and teeth. This can develop into pain and further dysfunction such as clicking and/or locking.
You may be experiencing the following:
- Pain and tenderness in your jaw, temples or head
- Aching facial pain
- Jaw is locked or stuck in a position
- Difficulty opening or closing your jaw
- Clicking, popping, clunking or grating noises in your jaw
- Headaches
- Neck and shoulder pain or stiffness
- Earaches and ringing in the ears
The Cause
The most common causes of jaw pain and dysfunction are:
- Teeth grinding and clenching
- Poor teeth position
- Vigorous chewing
- Recent orthodontic and dental treatments such braces or wisdom teeth extraction
- Trauma to the jaw because of a fall or contact sport such as boxing
- Major emotional stress
What May Happen If You Don't Do Anything?
If not evaluated and treated correctly, jaw symptoms can worsen over time and perhaps lead to other symptoms such as headaches, neck pain, face pain and even ear pain.
Often the earlier you seek care the quicker you will recover, however, the time recovery takes is dependent on how long your problem has been there and how your body responds and heals.
How Trowse Chiropractic Can Help?
Our Adelaide Gonstead Chiropractors are highly trained in the assessment and treatment of jaw pain and other symptoms such as clicking and locking.
After a thorough history and assessment of your condition has been conducted your treatment options will be explained to you by your Gonstead chiropractor.
These can include, but are not limited to:
- External and/or internal release of tight muscles in and around the mouth and jaw
- Gentle jaw mobilizations
- Take home exercises and recommendations
- Gentle chiropractic adjustments to the jaw or spine
- Appropriate referral to allied health professional (e.g. dentist referral for custom designed night splint)