Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD) - what is it?

• Pain and stiffness in the jaw and face

• Sometimes the pain is accompanied by crepitus, clicking and popping noises when opening and closing the mouth

• Musculoskeletal pain in specific areas such as neck, shoulders, upper back

• Tinnitus (ringing in ears) and earache (with no infection)

• Trismus - unable to fully open the mouth

• Bruxism - grinding of the teeth

• Pain which can be dull, burning or sharp in nature

• Headaches from mild to migraine

• Dizziness

• Difficulty swallowing and speaking

• Difficulty sleeping

• Stress - clenching the jaw when stressed, anxious

• Painful periods - tension in hip flexors (deep fascial line connects hip and jaw

​

 TMD - I use a combination of myofascial, acupressure, trigger point release massage and tailored self care to:​

• assess your condition

• holding, grounding, calming and relaxing - dialling down your sympathetic nervous system

• treating acupressure points around face, head, ears, shoulders

• indirect and direct myofascial release of the soft tissues throughout the body, head and shoulders

• trigger point release for tension in neck and shoulders and holding patterns of the body

• muscle energy techniques to strengthen muscles of jaw, neck and upper back

• tailored self-care advice to empower the you to take care of your body

• most important of all I treat you the person

​

​

References and research

• Gürsoy, Y., Uysal, H.H., 2020. Effect of manual therapy on range of motion, pain and quality of life in temporomandibular joint dysfunction, Journal of the Romanian Sports Medicine Society.

• Branco, L.P., Santis, T.O., ... Bussadori, S.K., 2013. Association between headache and temporomandibular joint disorders in children and adolescents. Journal of oral science 55, 39–43. doi:10.2334/josnusd.55.39