We use our mouth and jaw throughout the day when we eat, drink and talk, so it should come as no surprise that a problem with the jaw can cause significant discomfort during everyday actions. Like any joint in your body, your jaw joint, also known as the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), can suffer from degenerative changes and other problems that can cause pain, soreness or inhibited flexibility. In today’s blog, we explain how to best diagnose a jaw disorder.
Assessing & Diagnosing Jaw Problems
If you are dealing with jaw pain, inhibited range of motion or just generalized discomfort when attempting to manipulate your jaw, seek medical care for your condition instead of just dealing with it. Life is too short to live every day with pain and discomfort and there are effective treatment options for jaw pain available.
At your first appointment, the first thing your provider will do is ask about your symptoms, including what makes them appear and what movements help discomfort resolve. They’ll also ask about your eating habits and if you’ve tried anything to alleviate your jaw discomfort in the past.
Once they’ve got a baseline understanding about your discomfort, they’ll want to conduct a physical exam. They’ll help manipulate your mouth and jaw in different ways to check a few aspects of your TMJ health, including:
- Your jaw range of motion
- Your neck range of motion
- Your posture
- Jaw strength
- Movement of nearby structures during jaw manipulation
After all of these movements and structures are evaluated, your provider will begin developing a treatment plan to address what they believe is the root issue causing your discomfort.
Pain Management Clinic
If you are experiencing jaw pain from TMJ or another injury or condition, reach out to the pain management specialists at Revive MD! Our team provides comprehensive and compassionate care to patients throughout the Twin Cities metro area.