Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMJ)In Rhode Island
Tempromandibular Disorder (TMD) is made up of symptoms that involve the jaw and surrounding facial muscles, teeth, ears, and neck.
Common symptoms of TMJ include:
- TMJ pain (pain in the joint)
- Face or jaw pain
- Ear pain
- Ringing in the ears
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Joint sounds (popping, clicking, or grinding)
- Muscle pain and /or tenderness
- Limited mouth opening or closing, or sideward movements
- Neck Pain
Note: a person may have one or more of these conditions at the same time.
Treatment will usually consist of a combination of exercise, manipulation, mobilization, stretching, heat, and electric stimulation.
Common causes of TMD:
- Myofascial pain: the most common form of TMD; discomfort or pain in the muscles that control jaw function and the neck and shoulder muscles
- Internal derangement of the joint: a dislocated jaw or displaced disc, or injury to the condyle
- Degenerative joint disease: such as osteoporosis or rheumatoid arthritis in the jaw joint
