Head, Face & Jaw Pain

Pain in the head, face, or jaw has several classifications and can come from many different sources. Muscles and joints of the head, face, and jaw can be common sources of pain (see Muscle & Joint Pain page).  In addition to those, here are some craniofacial conditions that physical therapy can help you with:

Tension Headaches – headaches that originate from the muscles of the neck, head, and/or face

Cervicogenic Headaches – headaches that originate from the joints of the neck, in particular the  upper portion of the neck

Migraine Headaches – severe headaches that are thought to be caused by a problem in the nervous system. These can be accompanied by an aura which may include visual, hearing, or speech changes. True Migraine headaches need to be managed in part with medication but often times people with migraines have overlapping tension-type or cervicogenic headaches that PT can help.

Temporomandibular Disorders aka Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction – often referred to by the name of the joint “TMJ,” these problems cause pain and restrictions in movement of the jaw

Bell’s Palsy – an idiopathic facial palsy resulting in pain, weakness, and/or paralysis on one side of the face

Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) Therapy is a technique that uses a pneumatic cuff placed around an extremity (arm or leg) while performing exercise. The cuff is inflated to create pressure and mechanically occlude partial arterial and complete venous blood flow. This results in accumulation of metabolites that increases muscle force and promotes muscle growth. The goal of BFR is to improve muscle strength and stimulate muscle growth with low level exercise.
tmj pain

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