Craniofacial physical therapy near me

Craniofacial physical therapy can help with many symptoms in the face, including pain. It is the first choice of treatment that you should try before surgery and medications.

Craniofacial physical therapy includes the evaluation and treatment of the neck, jaw and surrounding shoulder girdle.  A licensed physical therapist with additional training in the neck and jaw should be first choice.

This evaluation includes muscles, joints and nerves in the neck and craniofacial region to find out where the pain is coming from.

A comprehensive assessment of the TMJ, cervical spine joints and shoulder blades are necessary to find out the cause of your symptoms.

Should your neck be assessed?

Symptoms can be an overlap of more than one reason, even if other areas are not symptomatic. Meaning, your neck may be a cause even though not your main painful location.

In fact, coexistence of temporomandibular joint and facial discomfort along with cervical spine disorders is quite common.

Incorrect tension of the masticatory muscles has been found to be associated with head posture and has been suggested as one of the causes of dysfunctions in cervical paravertebral muscles.

There is a functional relationship between the craniofacial and the neck regions during head movements, during chewing or teeth clenching.

Therefore, finding a relationship between neck muscle imbalance and forward head posture is key to finding out the source of your craniofacial pain.

Moreover, a muscle performance test may be indicative to help you find the cause or your pain.  In some instances, the activity of the masseter muscles are higher because they compensate the function of weak deep neck muscles.  Therefore, there is a lack of efficiency in the coactivation of the muscles around the neck and jaw.

Craniofacial physical therapy is a joint treatment alongside evaluation from your dentist.

In many cases, a custom splint designed by your dentist can supplement our physical therapy services. Therefore, we strive to co-treat you alongside your dental team to help you get the best results.

Contact us so you can start relief for your craniofacial pain today!