Dr. Samantha TMJ

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Dr. Samantha TMJ

TMJ relief found here! Home for education & community related to jaw pain, headaches, myofascial pain, and vertigo. Welcome to a source of free education!

I'm Samantha Dove, a Doctor of Physical Therapy who specializes in treating TMJ & vertigo. Monthly Free TMJ Newsletter

13/07/2023

The big debate!

You know what, I’m not sure.

Is it possible?
Absolutely.

🤍I clenched during PT school (stress induced) and once I graduated I stopped.
🤍there’s a major psychosocial component that no one can fully mange accept for you- HOWEVER

What helps reduce stress?
Getting treatment to help reduce pain and learn techniques to better manage your symptoms.
And will this reduce stress?
YES!
Which will then reduce clenching.

Other things that help:
🤍night guards/appliances
🤍mental health therapy
🤍regular manual treatment to prevent excessive muscular tightness
🤍 stress management techniques

There may be a genetic component to clenching that may be out of our control- I’ve talked to some mental health therapists about if potentially hypnotic treatment could help break this habit?

Tell me about your experience managing clenching!! 🤍🤍🤍

08/06/2023

The answer: it can be!

🤍some baseline clicking if non painful and not limiting function might be normal
& that’s ok!

When more treatment may be necessary with a click or pop:
▫️pain
▫️limited ROM
▫️prevents function (chewing, etc)
▫️jaw deviating
▫️occurs acutely and never had before

The click/pop indicates something is off with the disc of the TMJ. If after treatment some mild clicking still exists- that can be ok! Other joints pop too. We just don’t want the click or pop to become a disc dislocation or cause pain/limit function. Also if clicking is new to you, an assessment is definitely recommended to see what treatment is best to prevent furthering of symptoms.

🤍skilled PT intervention commonly effectively limits or eliminates clicking/popping

16/05/2023

2 muscles commonly involved in the TMD presentation 🤍

1. sternocleidomastoid (SCM): this stretch helps lengthen the anterior neck and this muscle’s fascial attachments to the mastoid process, which is very close to the TMJ and relates to ear symptoms

2. Levator scapulae: this stretch lengthens both the attachment on the scapula and into the neck. This muscle is commonly tight and contributes to pain in the neck/shoulder blade

These are both follow up stretches to help maintain improved mobility after manual treatment 😊

12/04/2023

I am not a dentist, but I work with them often & they are an integral part of the team when it comes to managing TMD!

Here are some key aspects of dental management for your jaw that I’ve noticed in clinical experience:

▫️screening any tooth issues/contributions to pain and further needs
▫️bite assignment/refer to orthodontist as needed
▫️creating custom splint + adjustment
▫️help protect teeth from clenching/grinding
▫️imaging to examining the TMJ and disc displacement

Other things to keep in mind:
Tell them your symptoms!! This may trigger them to suggest a needed referral, especially for PT for manual work
{PT CAN help resolve clicking/popping and a locked jaw!}
⭐️ also please let the dentist/hygienist know if you have difficulty keeping your mouth open for cleanings. They can help you with this instead of dealing/ending up with jaw pain!

I love having a network of dentists to collaborate with- and they appreciate hearing your symptoms so they know how to best serve you!

💫

09/03/2023

🔅hypermobility🔅

Meaning excess movement or instability in the TMJ- often due to excess movement in ligaments/joint capsule.

Why?
▫️trauma
▫️degeneration
▫️congenital
▫️auto immune

Hypermobility can happen in any joint, but in the TMJ, this often results in disc dysfunction, bite feeling off, jaw locking, and counter intuitively, feelings of tightness/stiffness in muscles of head/neck/jaw that cause myofascial pain due to over compensating.

🧡 there is ABSOLUTELY room for hypermobile jaws in the PT space! Other clinical team members may need to be involved based on the extent of instability, but reducing the mechanical restrictions is key!

We can also:
👏reduce disc clicking/popping
👏reduce associated headaches
👏teach stabilization exercises for muscular re education

🔅fortunately there’s growing awareness around connective tissue dysfunction & this includes the TMJ as well!

🤍

05/03/2023

Hello everyone! 🔅

I’m Dr Dove, an orthopedic physical therapist that specializes in treating the TMJ.

TMD is a general term for issues involving the jaw & often includes other myofascial pain, headaches, ear issues and dizziness. You also could experience clicking in the jaw or no clicking and just muscle pain/fatigue/tension.

As a PT in this realm, I find value in taking a very thorough history & exam with large emphasis on the hands on assessment to find root cause. Exam includes postural assessment and screening other areas of the body to understand the full picture.

This account is intended to provide education, increase awareness and create a community! 🤍
This is not medical advice. You can always message me and I will try to point you in the right direction! If you’re interested in treatment, I’m in Cincy 😊

Thank you all for being here & wishing you the best with your jaw always!

🤍

04/03/2023

Jaw pain & headaches, quite the pair!

▫️at least 50% of my TMJ clients report headaches as well- most commonly tension headaches or migraines

▫️in large part this has a lot to do with general dysfunction of the soft tissue and joint mobility of the head/neck/jaw

So basically, muscles/bones/ligaments of this region are dysfunctional (often stiff or certain areas are under/over utilized) and this makes the whole system off

▫️the body is amazing at adapting and compensating until tissue failure happens- and that’s when you experience pain and I often see you in the clinic

🤍my job is essentially an anatomy and biomechanics detective- also taking into account your very important medical and personal history to get the full picture

🔅often what I find missing for clients is the hands on piece- that’s where manual therapy and dry needling come in to play. Medication (although warranted and needed in many cases) is not going to change the root cause.

▫️there are many sources and types of headaches, and not all are resolved with PT. Always check with your doctor. But also don’t skip the manual therapy piece- it might be just what you’re missing!

🤍

19/02/2023

Neutral spine is best when it comes to sleep posture.

▫️I get asked often which pillow is best, and there’s no correct answer! For me it’s one that is comfortable for you and supportive enough to keep your head and neck neutral all night.

✨I also recommend back or side sleeping, not tummy sleeping

🤍

28/01/2023

YES.

Sleep quality may be skipped over as you try to discover the source of your TMD, but this area of wellness is not to be taken lightly.

▫️your sleep habits could include: clenching, grinding, mouth breathing, apnea, and/or poor sleeping posture all of which could be contributing to your jaw issues + headaches

▫️that being said, if you know this already and need some help- PT may be your answer! It’s important to address the mechanical issues of the head/neck/jaw with hands on treatment to reduce these sleep habits

🤍 do you feel refreshed in the morning?

10/01/2023

✨Did you know your subcranial spine (C1-2) and cervical spine influence your jaw?! ✨

🔸As they say, everything is connected, and it’s true that your neck mobility and alignment affects your TMJ!

🔸That’s why in PT treatment, we take a whole body perspective to evaluating and treating for long term change.

🔸Have you found you both neck and jaw pain?

🤍

04/12/2022

✨Feeling well rested in the morning so important for healthy and quality of life, but few of us feel this, especially those with TMD.

✨One way we can improve this is by addressing mechanical restrictions of the head/neck/jaw with skilled manual therapy! To reduce overall TMD symptoms, reduce clenching tendencies, and improve sleeping posture, all of which will promote a healthy airway to reduce sleep apnea.

Want to know what it feels like to feel well rested” in the morning? Try PT!

🤍

19/11/2022

▫️Are you having issues with your bite?
It’s painful?
Or feels “off”/uneven?
It’s shifted?
You got a crown done and now you don’t bite down the same?

▫️YES, all of the above influences the TMJ and surrounding musculature.

The body craves homeostasis, and the jaw is a grounding force for our surrounding posture. If things are uneven in the contact of our teeth, the body will try to adapt to find more evenness, sometimes to the detriment of our TMJ.

▫️We can fix this!!!
Definitely may take a dentist or orthodontist on board, but PT is essential for addressing the soft tissue restrictions that result from all the compensations. We can also keep the joint healthy and moving.

If the bite alignment issues are not the original cause and became an issue after other jaw symptoms started, PT may be all you need.

▫️Bottom line: if your bite feels off, something’s shifted somewhere, so make sure you find someone who can help you back to evenness 😎

🤍

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