Temporomandibular Joint ( TMJ ) is a small joint, Connect your jaw bone to skull, Disorder in TMJ is commonly in women in age between 20 -50 years old and it can cause a sever pain and it may radiate to jaw bone, skull, teeth, ears, headache and neck, Physical therapy is very important in this case to reduce and relive pain, Here we going to show you what is the common causes and symptoms of TMJ and how to treat it

 Causes of Temporomandibular Joint ( TMJ ) Disorder

1- the TMJ disc is eroding or damage 

2- strained of the muscles around the TMJ which lead to weakness the joint

3- trauma or sever pressure over and TMJ area

Signs and symptoms 

1- Pain around the area of TMJ it may radiate to jaw bone, skull, teeth, ears and neck

2- Headache

3- decrease rang of motion in the joint

4- unable to chewing

5- sever pain while close mouth tightly

Physical therapy management and treatment

Diagnosis

physical therapy will ask you to open and close your mouth and he will listen to the joint if there is any crackling in the joint, looking carefully to your joint for any limit in rang of motion, then ask you to close your mouth tightly or he will press in your joint and ask you if there is any pain

Intervention 

1- Ultrasound to reduce  swelling, pain and improve circulation in TMJ area

2- Alternate hot and ice hot to improve circulation and ice to reduce swelling and pain

3- Massage if there is no inflammation

4- Exercises for TMJ to improve range of motion, increase muscle strengthen and improve flexibility of the joint. the exercises include :

A) Alignment Exercises 

use your palm of your hand and but it over one side to push over TMJ ( don't use your fingers ) and keep your mouth and your teeth align, so your jaw bone straight, then apply gently push inside and hold for 5 to 10 seconds without moving your jaw bone repeat that 3 time and apply the same in the opposite side

B) Gently static contraction 

open your mouth and but your fingers inside to the bottom of teeth, then apply an static muscle contraction by try to close your mouth with gentle resistant from your fingers so yo muscles around TMJ is in static contraction be sure that your jaw bone not moving and straight hold for 5 to 10 seconds then relax and repeat that 3 time

C) TMJ stretch 

slightly open your mouth, use your palm of your hand and but it over chin, apply gently backward pressure with relaxing your jaw and make sure that your teeth and jaw bone is straight and align, hold for 5 to 10 seconds then relax and repeat that 3 time

NOTE : DON'T START TMJ EXERCISES UNTIL YOUR PHYSICAL THERAPIST TELL YOU THAT ITS NO PROBLEMS IN TMJ EXERCISES