Specialist Agnė points out, “One treatment is usually not enough, as patients usually come in after the problem has become more severe. A very large part of the success is determined by the patient’s work at home: how responsibly the patient performs the prescribed exercises, how conscientiously the patient follows the recommendations. It is encouraging that more and more patients are children. If we notice changes in the function of the temporomandibular joint and facial muscles at a young age, it is much easier and simpler to correct them without invasive procedures.

The following symptoms are indicative of whether or not a specialist should be contacted for treatment

Therapeutic massage specialist D. Milčiukė emphasises when to register for a consultation: “If you breathe through your mouth, if you drool after a night of sleeping under your pillow, if you snore, if you hear noises when you chew or yawn, if you feel discomfort when you open or close your mouth, if you have headaches, neck or earaches, or if you’re preparing for or are already undergoing orthodontic treatment, then I recommend that you visit a specialist, at least as a preventative measure”.

What is important to know about the course of treatment

The treatment relaxes tense muscles and strengthens weak muscles. Gėlūnė details what the treatment process looks like. Everything is important when working on muscles, from comorbidities and family history to leg length, body movements or diet. The results are discussed with the patient, recommendations are made, the patient is taught the correct jaw movements and, if necessary, referred for tests or consultations with other specialists. Exercises are carried out at each visit and should be continued at home. To achieve maximum results”.

Treatment is not just for adults

“Deimantė Milčiukė, SAŽS specialist at the Denticijos clinic in Vilnius, says: “Performing procedures is important for both adults and children.

Adults are often plagued by pain, jaw locking, limited mouth opening, chewing muscle tension, ear and headaches, tooth and jaw trauma.

I notice that a lot of children often have open mouths – ’emergency’ breathing, respiratory diseases, snoring, gnashing of teeth, poor sleep, bite problems, and tongue misalignment.

If a child needs orthodontic treatment, it is good to know that myofunctional therapy is also needed. This helps to develop correct swallowing, chewing, breathing and tongue positioning skills.

If children’s lower jaw abnormalities are detected in time, very good results can be achieved. But perhaps the most important aspect of treatment is teamwork. It is very important to do the homework prescribed by the specialist. This is where parents play the biggest role in controlling the process.

These procedures can be carried out for a variety of reasons

“Craniofacial physiotherapy can reduce the unpleasant sounds in the jaw that we hear when we chew or speak, the pain and the feeling of fatigue in the face. It is an excellent preparatory procedure before long dental procedures when you will need to stay awake for long periods.

Physiotherapy is also necessary for patients who have undergone orthognathic surgery, after trauma to the jaw, to prevent adhesions, to preserve the range of movement and for a faster recovery.

In collaboration with orthodontists, physiotherapy can help to relieve unpleasant sensations and pain in patients wearing orthodontic appliances. When moving the teeth, it is important not to neglect the soft tissues, which receive a different load than they are used to when the position of the teeth changes. This can lead to muscle pain, fatigue in the jaw, earaches or headaches,” says physiotherapist Agnė, drawing on her professional experience.

The secret to successful treatment is teamwork with a specialist

The procedure for temporomandibular joint disorders is a non-invasive treatment that restores correct movement: ‘You should be prepared to move – your jaw, your head, your neck – not only during your visits, but also at home. Once the treatment is over and the problem has been solved, it is very important to make the things learned a habit so that the problem does not reoccur,” points out A Gelūnė.

After 10 treatments, it’s as if the jaw fracture never happened

A. Gelūnė is delighted with the results she is able to achieve together with her patients:
“For example, I had to rehabilitate a patient after a broken jaw. He came in with numbness in his lip and impaired movement, and he was afraid that it might be permanent. This was not the case – after 10 treatments and intensive work at home, the patient was discharged smiling broadly as if nothing had happened.

Another patient had been wearing braces and intermaxillary elastics for a long time without the desired result, even though he had followed all the recommendations. The orthodontist suspected that there might be muscle problems and sent him for physiotherapy. After relaxing the muscles, doing exercises and correcting the functional movements (8 treatments and intensive work at home), the braces could be taken off, as the mandible was in the right position.

Milčiukė is also happy with the results: “A patient came in looking for immediate help. He had been in pain for about two weeks and the day before the visit his jaw was locked – he couldn’t open his mouth normally and we couldn’t find the cause of the pain.
We carried out key tests which showed a muscle problem. We then applied intraoral massage techniques which helped to relax the tight chewing muscles. After the treatment, the patient opened his mouth fully and left very happy and grateful.”

If you too are experiencing these symptoms, don’t delay. You probably need treatment for a TMJ disorder. Schedule an appointment: