The Jaw Joint
The jaw is a very busy joint. We use it for chewing, eating and talking, all of which happen throughout the day. If the jaw is not moving properly then the result can be an aching jaw.
Jaw Ache Causes
One of the most common causes of an ache in jaw is clenching of the teeth and in severe cases, grinding. This is something that most people are unaware of doing but it can cause pain and even headaches. The symptoms are often worse in the morning as a common time to clench is at night when asleep. Other times are when stressed, driving and even going to the cinema. Some people who clench their jaws tend to chew gum as this stops the tension build up in the jaw, but in-fact this can cause an overuse of the jaw muscles in a different way.
The jaw joint can also be injured or sprained through an impact type injury, through contact sport for example, which may lead to pain or discomfort when using the jaw.
Treatment
Physiotherapy can be very effective at settling jaw ache down. The treatment involves soft tissue massage, joint mobilisations and exercises. Sometimes a gum guard can also be fitted to try to alleviate the symptoms. This only needs to done after a course of physiotherapy.
Contact Information
To book an initial consultation with one of our expert physiotherapists, please call us on 0207 6030040 or email us at info@kenphysio.com.
