Tmj physical therapy?

Question

my oral surgeon wants me to do physical therapy before surgery, since i'm only 15...

has anyone ever had physical therapy for their jaw?

how does this work, what exercises will i be doing?

& is it going to make my tmj&receding lower jaw worse?

the symptoms are soo bad, so i hope not!

Answer 1

Physical therapy is actually a common place for an oral surgeon to send a person with TMJD.  Physical therapists specialize in evaluating and treating impairments of the joints of the body (including the TMJ).  I would recommend that you look for a physical therapist in your area that has a CFC (craniofacial certification) from the University of St. Augustine (www.usa.edu).  I am currently working toward that certification.  I think you would be surprised to see how much physical therapy can actually help.  

Also,  It will not make the jaw worse and the exercises are mainly postural related (Posture plays a huge roll in the development and exacerbation of TMJD symptoms).