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Patient Jaw Exercises
Patient Jaw Exercises Video
Patient Jaw Exercises Video
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Video Transcription
Hi, I'm Tanya Kushner. I'm going to demonstrate a simple technique to alleviate transient jaw soreness and bite changes that often result from the use of an oral appliance. Transient morning jaw pain of muscle origin is a common side effect of oral appliance therapy. Jaw muscle stretching and isometric exercises may help manage it. Exercises can be performed in the morning or throughout the day. Applying moist heat for 10 minutes and self-massage before the exercises can be beneficial as it improves blood flow to the muscles. The exercises address contracture in the lateral pterygoid, temporalis, and masseter muscles. To prevent injury, they should be performed within the mandibular physiologic range of motion. There are three groups of muscles that will be targeted by these exercises, the temporalis, the masseter, and the pterygoids. The muscles that are oriented vertically will be activated and stretched during exercises that open the mouth, while those with a more horizontal orientation will be activated and experience lengthening during lateral, retrusive, and protrusive movements. I will begin by demonstrating stretching movements. We should assume that the patient has already applied moist heat and massaged the muscles of the cheeks and temples. With the patient sitting upright in the chair, with their head resting on the headrest, I will first instruct her to place the tip of the tongue behind the front upper teeth and then open slowly. So let's practice now a few times. Thank you. Next, I will instruct the patient to open her mouth slightly, place the tip of the tongue behind the upper front teeth, then slide the tip of the tongue back towards the soft palate. Let's practice now. Thank you. These first two stretching movements will gently encourage lengthening of the lateral pterygoid muscles, the deep and superficial masseters, along with the vertical fibers of the temporalis. At home, both of these movements should be repeated 10 times. Next, I will be demonstrating isometric exercises, which are also beneficial for transient morning symptoms. For these, I will instruct the patient to move her jaw against resistance. To prevent overworking these functional muscle groups, we use two-finger resistance for lateral and protrusive movements. Fist or hand resistance can be used for opening. There are four jaw movements that I will demonstrate, opening, protruding, and right and left lateral movement. Each should be repeated 10 times. Place your fist under the chin and open slowly against the light pressure. Thank you. Now place two fingers on your chin and protrude slowly against the light pressure. Great. Place two fingers on the right side of your chin and move your jaw to the right against the light pressure. Thank you. Place two fingers on the left side of your chin and move your jaw to the left against the light pressure. Do not overextend your jaw beyond comfortable opening. It is important to maintain control over the movements to prevent self-injury. These isometric exercises should be also repeated 10 times. These stretching and isometric exercises can be helpful to reduce and manage transient jaw soreness and help return the mandible to a position that supports the habitual bite. Ideally, at the completion of these movements, the patient will report that they're free of residual soreness and that their teeth feel easily back together. It is important to instruct the patient to exercise carefully and avoid movements or force that increase pain. Increase in pain may indicate that pain is not of muscle origin but may instead originate in the TMJ. Most importantly, a patient should understand the importance of contacting their treating dentist if the transient morning symptoms persist throughout the day as other remedies may be necessary. I hope you found this presentation helpful. Thank you for joining me.
Video Summary
In this video, Tanya Kushner demonstrates a technique to relieve jaw soreness and bite changes caused by using an oral appliance. She explains that morning jaw pain often occurs as a side effect of oral appliance therapy and suggests stretching exercises and isometric exercises to manage the pain. Kushner demonstrates various stretching movements to lengthen the muscles of the jaw and explains how to perform the exercises at home. She then shows isometric exercises using resistance from the fingers or fist to strengthen the jaw muscles. Kushner emphasizes the importance of controlling movements and avoiding pain, and advises seeking further treatment if symptoms persist throughout the day.
Keywords
jaw soreness
oral appliance
stretching exercises
isometric exercises
pain management
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