Why do I have jaw pain?

The most common cause of jaw pain can be due to several different causes. Causes that can be effectively treated by your Dr7 Physiotherapist include: stiff upper cervical joints, stiffness of the temple muscles or occasionally jaw pain is due to restriction or mal-tracking of the jaw joints themselves, called Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) pain. Some causes of jaw pain can be related to dental issues so it may also be appropriate to consult with your dentist.

What is TMJ Pain?

The joints of the jaw are called the temporomandibular joints (TMJ). When working correctly the jaw bone, mandibular, should be able to roll and slide inside the temporal bone. When the muscles or ligaments on either one or both sides supporting the joint become restricted this movement becomes hindered and abnormal. Over time this abnormal movement will cause inflammation and pain. Symptoms can include pain, clicking, pain with chewing and headaches.

Is TMJ Pain common?

Jaw pain is common within the community, however due to the varying causes of jaw pain it is difficult to accurately determine the incidence of TMJ pain.  The most common age groups to be affected by TMJ are those from 20-40 years of age.

What causes TMJ Pain?

Common activities that can result in TMJ pain are: grinding or clenching of teeth, stiff upper cervical joints due to posture, favouring one side to eat, nail biting or previous injury to the jaw.

How long does TMJ Pain take to get better?

The duration of your symptoms can vary and depend on several factors such as length of pain before physiotherapy treatment, if postural issues can be modified, the number of triggers present and your adherence to your exercise program. If your symptoms are mild-moderate you could have full resolution in 2-4 weeks however if your symptoms are severe it could take several months. After your initial assessment your physiotherapist will be better able to give you a more accurate estimate.

How can Dr7 Physiotherapy help?

Your Dr7 Physiotherapist in Yokine will be able to provide you with some pain relieving techniques that will also regain the elasticity and movement of your TMJ and cervical joints. We can teach you how to reduce your pain throughout the day but most importantly how to modify work postures and daily habits to resolve your pain and prevent reoccurrence. All our physiotherapists are trained in treatment techniques such as dry-needling (acupuncture), sports taping, laser therapy and manual soft-tissue techniques. Call 9349 1777 for further information.

What is hydrotherapy?

Hydrotherapy refers to therapy within a body of water. Typically hydrotherapy pools are operated at 33-36° to facilitate with patient recovery and healing. It combines the effects of exercise and warm water to improve function, induce healing and reduce pain. Dr7 Physiotherapy & Podiatry provides a hydrotherapy pool onsite with trained Physiotherapists to assist you where necessary.

How does hydrotherapy work?

Hydrotherapy has proven properties which allow patients to rehabilitate safely at a faster rate:

• The buoyancy of water reduces the load distribution through joints and tissues, allowing patients to improve their strength and/or mobility in a more comfortable environment. This creates the feeling of weightlessness through your body, almost as if you are taking a break from gravity.
• The warmth of the water encourages your blood vessels to improve circulation throughout your body. This stimulates oxygen to flow into to your joints and tissues which improves healing and helps to dispose of toxins faster.

Uses of hydrotherapy

The Physiotherapists at Dr7 Physiotherapy and Podiatry are trained to deliver hydrotherapy for the following uses:

• Rehabilitation post surgical operations
• Low back pain
• Knee pain
• Weight loss management
• Improve muscular strength
• Maintenance of arthritis pain
• Maintenance of fibromyalgia pain
• Rehabilitation of athletic injuries
• Improve cardio-vascular fitness

Benefits of Hydrotherapy

There are many benefits of hydrotherapy which has been proven through research. Some of the major benefits are:

• Provides a comfortable environment for exercise
• Allows increase mobility of stiff and/or painful joints
• Reduces muscles tension
• Relieve pains throughout the body
• Speeds rehabilitation of injured muscles
• Boosts the immune system through increased circulation
• Encourages the detoxification process
• Relieves stress
• Effective in the maintenance of chronic pain
• Stimulates blood flow throughout the body

Hydrotherapy at Dr7 Physiotherapy & Podiatry

Hydrotherapy is a facility offered here at Dr7 Physiotherapy and Podiatry in Yokine. Our pool runs at 34° and we provide a variety of equipment utensils that you can use to facilitate your rehabilitation. We run different types of hydrotherapy sessions which you can read about below:

• Arthritis class: a full-body workout delivered by a Physiotherapist which aims to improve mobility, strength and cardiovascular fitness
• 1-1 hydrotherapy: this includes a 1-1 session with a Physiotherapist who guides you through your very own hydrotherapy program
• Group rehabilitation: a group setting of up to 4-6 patients undertaking rehabilitation under the supervision of a Physiotherapist
• Independent rehab: use of the pool independently, great for water walking or doing your own exercises

Common Knee Pain – Patellofemoral Joint Pain Syndrome (Runner’s Knee)

Patellofemoral joint pain (PFJP) is the most common knee injury seen here at Dr7 Physiotherapy & Podiatry. More frequently known as “Runner’s Knee”, PFJP is pain felt behind or around your kneecap due to excessive joint pressure and poor kneecap alignment. PFJP affects approximately 10-20% of the general population, making it the most common diagnosis in physiotherapy practices.¹

Read below to find out more about anterior knee pain.

Anatomy

Your knee joint is made up of 3 articulating components – the femur (thigh bone), the tibia (shin bone) and the patella (kneecap). The kneecap is stabilised within the knee joint by a balance of musculature and tendon forces around the knee. A balance of these forces is essential for the kneecap to move freely and pain-free in the knee’s groove as you bend and straighten your knee.

What is Runners Knee?

Runner’s knee is pain felt around and behind the kneecap. If the knee complex isn’t suitably balanced, the kneecap can glide sub-optimally in its groove. With repetitive knee action, inflammation and pain can occur, causing damage to bony tissue, cartilage, ligaments and/or fatty tissue near the knee cap. Pain arises with contact of the kneecap within its groove and can present itself as either a diffuse achy pain or at times a sharp and severe pain.

Common symptoms reported at Dr7 Physiotherapy & Podiatry are:

• Pain in the knee during weight-bearing activities
• The kneecap feels as though it isn’t balanced in the knee joint
• Tenderness in and around the knee when pressure is applied
• Cracking or clicking noise with knee movement or twisting
• Reduction in pain-free knee motion
• Stiffness

Diagnosis and treatment by a Dr7 Physiotherapist are crucial for a quicker and less painful recovery. If left untreated symptoms usually progressively worsen.

Does this sound familiar? Read on for more information.

What causes Runner’s Knee?

At Dr7 Physiotherapy & Podiatry we recognise that a number of factors can attribute to runner’s knee. Therefore it is important to assess individual biomechanics, compensations and joints above and below the knee complex.

Some of the more common issues that can contribute to runner’s knee are:

• Poor biomechanics
• Poor hip stabilisation and control
• Tight and imbalanced musculature & tendon structures
• Poor strength and endurance of quadriceps, hamstrings and hip muscles
• Trauma to the knee joint
• Poor foot posture

Aggravating factors most commonly reported to the Physiotherapists at Dr7 Physiotherapy & Podiatry are:

• Squatting & lunging
• Running
• Stair/hills
• Twisting/pivoting

If you are experiencing any symptoms correlating with runner’s knee, it is important to have your condition assessed by one of our experienced Physiotherapists at Dr7 today.

How can a Dr7 Physiotherapist help?

All of our Physiotherapists at Dr7 Physiotherapy & Podiatry are well-trained to implement up-to-date research techniques to different cases of runner’s knee. Each therapist will implement treatment based on the individuals’ unique presentation and can vary from patient to patient.

After an extensive assessment, your therapist will be able to explain the cause for your knee pain. A management plan will be implemented to settle pain, restore biomechanics of your knee and offer advice for current and future physical activity.

Frequently used treatment strategies at Dr7 Physiotherapy & Podiatry

• Soft/deep tissue massage
• Trigger point release
• Dry needling
• Myofascial cupping therapy
• Mobility, strength and stretching exercises
• Biomechanical advice & adjustments
• Kneecap mobility and glides
• Hydrotherapy
• Taping

Taping

Taping is an important component for managing knee pain. It is used to restore proper alignment of your kneecap within the knee’s groove. It can be applied in a number of different ways depending on the patient’s presentation and activity requirements. At times knee taping can provide instant relief and allow patients to integrate into normal daily activities sooner.

Check out our Physiotherapist, Tess demonstrating two popular and effective taping techniques for runner’s knee.

How to book an assessment with our qualified physiotherapists

There are 2 ways in which you can secure an appointment at Dr7 Physiotherapy and Podiatry.

1. Call (08) 9349 1777 to speak with one of our friendly receptionists to book an appointment.
2. Book an appointment online through Health Engine. This is located on our website dr7physioandpod.com.au. Simply click “book an appointment” and you will be guided through the steps.

References

1. https://www.physiotherapy.asn.au/APAWCM/Physio_and_You/Patellofermoral_Pain.aspx

https://search.google.com/local/posts?q=Dr7+Physiotherapy+Podiatry+Hydrotherapy+Massage&ludocid=5606495360347794320&lpsid=7558583029535780096

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Full-time Physiotherapist

Part-time Podiatrist

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To join our growing team. If you would like to be part of one of Perth’s best healthcare companies please get in touch with us asap. reception@dr7physioandpod.com.au

All of us have experienced back pain of some degree at a point in our lives. It is one of the most common pain conditions. Pain is the common complaint with back issues but other symptoms such as pins and needles, numbness, leg ache, muscle spasm, weakness, stiffness can also be present.

Back pain is musculo-skeletal in nature, can be considered mechanical or inflammatory (and usually both!) and can sometimes include neck pain and pelvic pain. Over the years, it has become the most common reason for sick leave.

The pain can come about in various ways such as picking up heavy objects in an incorrect manner, or spending too long in a single position, like sitting at a desk all day. Poor ergonomics and poor posture is a common cause.

Anxiety and stress are known to make the pain worse. However, it is rare for other health conditions to cause back pain.

Painkillers can be used to temporarily address the issue, but this runs into some pitfalls.

The first of these is that the medication only numbs the pain but does nothing about the cause of the problem. The second issue is that painkillers and similar medication can be habit-forming and have harmful side-effects with prolong use.

A good way to counter back pain is to understand what is causing it. Sudden injury from joint sprains and muscle strains,  illness, or poor posture can all play a part. Some common conditions which can be helped with physiotherapy include back muscle stain / spasm, facet joint sprain, sciatica, disc bulge / prolapse disc ( no, your disc can not ‘slip’ ! ), nerve compression, arthritis/degeneration.

Seeing a physiotherapist swiftly can help with pain relief and improve mobility. It will also help to prevent more complications and speed up the recovery of the current back dysfunction. At Dr7 Physiotherapy, you will be verbally and objectively assessed thoroughly, followed by a treatment plan that is individualised for your condition. You will receive treatment which may include, soft tissue massage / release; joint mobilisation / manipulation; dry needling / acupunture ; taping; electrical therapeutic modalities such as Interential, TENS, LASER ; specific rehabilitaion exercises and most importantly, expert advice and education in injury management.