Skip to content
Call

TMJ DisorderIn Austin, San Antonio, & surrounding cities

Our therapists specialize in focused TMJ treatment. The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) guides jaw movement. Problems with the TMJ are known as temporomandibular joint disorder or dysfunction (TMD).

Jaw dysfunction through TMD is very common. More than 10 million people in the United States have it. TMD can be caused by:

Bad posture habits

One of the reasons jaw disorder with TMD is so common is because many of us spend a great deal of time sitting at a desk, where we often hold our head too far forward as we work. But there are many other kinds of bad posture. Sitting in the car for a long commute, working at a checkout station, cradling a telephone receiver against the same shoulder for long periods of time, always carrying your child on the same hip-all can place the head in an awkward position and cause jaw problems. The "forward head position" puts a strain on the muscles, disk, and ligaments of the TMJ. The jaw is forced to "rest" in an opened position, and the chewing muscles become overused.

Chronic jaw clenching at night ("bruxism")

Many people clench their jaws at night while they sleep, usually because of stress. This puts a strain on the TMJ because of the constant strain on the joint and surrounding muscles.

Problems with teeth alignment ("malocclusion")

If your teeth come together in an unusual way, greater stress is placed on your TMJ.

Surgery

Following surgery to the face and jaw, there may be a loss in mobility and function of the TMJ.

Symptoms include:

  • Jaw pain
  • Jaw fatigue
  • Difficulty opening your mouth to eat or talk
  • Ringing in your ears
  • Headache
  • Popping sounds in your jaw
  • Neck pain
  • Locking jaw
Play Video

TMJ Treatment: How a Physical Therapist Can Help

Your physical therapist can help restore the natural movement of your jaw and decrease your pain. If the therapist determines that your jaw pain is not related to teeth alignment, the therapist will select treatments that will work best for you. TMJ treatments used by physical therapists for TMD include:

Posture education. If your therapist finds that you sit with your head in an increased forward position, this means that you are placing greater strain on the muscles beneath your chin, causing the lower jaw to pull back and the mouth to be in an open position even when resting, and increasing stress on the TMJ. You also might be overworking the jaw muscles to force the jaw closed so your mouth isn't open all the time. Your therapist will teach you to be aware of your posture so that you can improve the resting position of your jaw, head, neck, breastbone, and shoulder blades when you're sitting and walking.

Improve jaw movement. Physical therapists use skilled hand movements called manual therapy to increase movement and relieve pain in tissues and joints. Your therapist also might use manual therapy to stretch the jaw in order to restore normal joint and muscle flexibility (how supple your muscles are) or break up scar tissues ("adhesions") that sometimes develop when there is constant injury.

Your physical therapist will teach you special "low-load" exercises-exercises that don't exert a lot of pressure on your TMJ but that can strengthen the muscles of the jaw and restore a more natural, pain-free motion.

Maintaining good sitting posture is key to preventing TMJ problems. Your physical therapist will show you how to maintain good sitting posture to prevent future episodes of TMD.

The TexPTS Difference

Top-Rated in Texas

Get high-quality care from top area specialists.

More Board Certified Experts

Experience high-quality care from a team you can trust.

1:1 Personalized Treatment Plans

Develop a custom treatment plan with our team of physical therapists.

TMJ Disorder Treatment Locations

Austin – Avery Ranch Physical Therapy

10526 West Parmer Lane
Suite 403
Austin, TX 78717
View Location

Austin – Central Bailey Physical Therapy

1111 W 34th St
Ste 101
Austin, TX 78705
View Location

Austin – Cedar Valley/Dripping Springs Physical Therapy

11601 US Highway 290
Suite A-102
Austin, TX 78737
View Location

Austin – Far West Physical Therapy

6836 Austin Center Blvd
Ste 1-180
Austin, TX 78731
View Location

Austin – Mueller Physical Therapy

1201 Barbara Jordan Blvd.
Suite 600
Austin, TX 78723
View Location

Austin – North (Balcones Woods) Physical Therapy

11150 Research Boulevard
Suite 212
Austin, TX 78759
View Location

Austin – Northeast (Parmer) Physical Therapy

1212 West Parmer Lane
Suite G
Austin, TX 78727
View Location

Austin – South Congress Physical Therapy

6501 S. Congress Ave
Suite 301
Austin, TX 78745
View Location

Austin – Southwest (West Gate) Physical Therapy

4532 West Gate Boulevard
Suite 100
Austin, TX 78745
View Location

Austin – West Lake (Inside the Westlake Athletic Community Center) Physical Therapy

4300 Westbank Drive (Inside the Westlake Athletic Community Center)
Suite 210
Westlake Hills, TX 78746
View Location

Bee Cave Physical Therapy

15801 Hwy 71
Suite 500
Bee Cave, TX 78738
View Location

San Antonio – Boerne Physical Therapy

112 Herff Road
Suite 310
Boerne, TX 78006
View Location

Cedar Park Physical Therapy

109 Cypress Creek Road
Suite B1
Cedar Park, TX 78613
View Location

Georgetown Physical Therapy

204 S. IH-35 Service Road
Ste 203
Georgetown, TX 78628
View Location

Gruene Physical Therapy

960 Gruene Road
Building 2
New Braunfels, TX 78130
View Location

Hutto Physical Therapy

307 Farley St
Hutto, TX 78634
View Location

Kyle Physical Therapy

4100 Everett Street
Suite 130
Kyle, TX 78640
View Location

Lakeway Physical Therapy

101 Medical Parkway
Suite 110
Lakeway, TX 78738
View Location

Leander Physical Therapy

1789 South Bagdad Road
Suite 102
Leander, TX 78641
View Location

Liberty Hill Physical Therapy

13740 W State Hwy 29
Ste 3
Liberty Hill, TX 78642
View Location

New Braunfels Physical Therapy

1324 Common Street
Suite 307
New Braunfels, TX 78130
View Location

New Braunfels County Line Physical Therapy

1187 W. County Line Rd
Suite 115
New Braunfels, TX 78130
View Location

Pflugerville Physical Therapy

15803 Windermere Dr
Ste 204
Pflugerville, TX 78660
View Location

Round Rock Physical Therapy

1150 Satellite View
Round Rock, TX 78665
View Location

San Antonio – Billing Office Physical Therapy

7505 N Loop 1604 East
Ste 101
Live Oak, TX 78233
View Location

San Antonio – Castle Hills Physical Therapy

1973 NW Loop 410
Ste 102
San Antonio, TX 78213
View Location

San Antonio – City Base Physical Therapy

2902 Goliad Road
Suite 101
San Antonio, TX 78223
View Location

San Antonio – Deerfield Physical Therapy

16625 Huebner Rd.
San Antonio, TX 78248
View Location

San Antonio – Live Oak Physical Therapy

7505 N Loop 1604 East
Ste 101
Live Oak, TX 78233
View Location

San Antonio – Medical Center Physical Therapy

9618 Huebner Rd
Suite 219
San Antonio, TX 78240
View Location

San Antonio – Northwest Physical Therapy

8122 Tezel Road
San Antonio, TX 78250
View Location

San Antonio – Alamo Heights Physical Therapy

5917 Broadway Street
San Antonio, TX 78209
View Location

San Antonio – SMASA Northeast Physical Therapy

12500 Judson Rd
Ste 201
San Antonio, TX 78233
View Location

San Antonio – SMASA Spurs Lane Physical Therapy

21 Spurs Lane
Suite 340
San Antonio, TX 78240
View Location

San Antonio – SMASA St. Mary’s University Physical Therapy

1 Camino Santa Maria
San Antonio, TX 78228
View Location

San Antonio – Stone Oak Physical Therapy

300 East Sonterra Boulevard
Suite 210
San Antonio, TX 78258
View Location

San Antonio – Westover Hills Physical Therapy

3303 Rogers Rd
Suite 220
San Antonio, TX 78251
View Location

San Antonio – Wilderness Oak Physical Therapy

24815 US 281 Hwy. N.
Suite 101
San Antonio, TX 78258
View Location

San Marcos East Physical Therapy

1310 Wonder World Dr
Ste 110
San Marcos, TX 78666
View Location

San Marcos West Physical Therapy

2550 Hunter Road
Suite 1104
San Marcos, TX 78666
View Location

San Antonio – Bulverde/Spring Branch Physical Therapy

20475 Highway 46 W.
Suite 104
Bulverde, TX 78070
View Location

Frequently Asked Questions

  • A physical therapy visit lasts about 40-60 minutes. The actual contents of the visit vary based on your diagnosis/need, but typically what happens is:

    1. You check in with the receptionist, make any appointments necessary, and we discuss your health insurance benefits with you.
    2. You go into the gym. You can change clothes if you need to, then begin therapy.
    3. You perform 6-8 various exercises and stretches. These can include therapeutic band exercises, light body weight exercises, or minimal weights. The stretches will promote strength, stability, improved range of motion, and pain relief.
    4. We can initiate other techniques to include manual work, taping, cupping, and dry needling as needed.
    5. The therapist makes recommendations based on your progress. These can include altering the frequency of visits, making additions/alterations to your home exercise plan, or things to do before your next visit.
  • We recommend budgeting 40-60 minutes for a typical therapy session. The only exception to this will be your first visit, which can take about 20 minutes longer due to the physical therapy evaluation your therapist will provide. We also recommend showing up about 10-15 minutes early to your first visit. This way, you can complete the paperwork before your visit time and streamline the process.

  • If we are asking you to do something that is hurting too much, let us know! Physical therapy should not be severely painful. It is not common to be so sore that patients are in pain or it affects their daily life. If this ever happens during or after an appointment, let us know and we will adapt your program.

  • During your initial evaluation, your therapist may ask you a number of questions to determine what the cause of your pain is. This can include questions about your sleep habits, activity level, and work environment. They will also ask for a medical history, and then typically ask direct questions about where and when you experience pain.

Have more questions? Contact Us

People in Austin, San Antonio & Surrounding Cities Trust TexPTS

Hear from patients that reclaimed their lives.

The folks at TexPTS are caring, thoughtful, and very professional. They truly care about your injury and want you to get better! I would recommend them highly to anyone in need of physical therapy!

5 stars

Bill F.

TexPTS Patient

Courteous staff, excellent PTs, flexible scheduling. I highly recommend TexPTS. Excellent outcome with my shoulder therapy. Injuries happen; when anyone in my family needs a PT in the future, they're headed to TexPTS!

5 stars

Brett B.

TexPTS Patient

The therapists, are very nice, friendly, knowledgeable, and encouraging. Their assistants and the office staff are equally as nice and friendly. The facility is clean and spacious. All this together makes for a very pleasant rehab experience!

5 stars

Carol N.

TexPTS Patient

Even when there is not a pandemic, I think I would choose to do telehealth physical therapy because I’ve gotten great results in less time with a more flexible schedule. The ease of telehealth took away my excuses for not attending, which was half the battle.

5 stars

J.B.

TexPTS Telehealth Patient

Buck asks insightful questions and is a good listener.  I feel we have established a clear picture of the issues, and continue to update this as the treatment evolves.  Buck has assigned PT exercises which I see as insightful and get right to the core of the issues.

5 stars

J.K.

TexPTS Telehealth Patient

The therapy I have received at Texas Physical Therapy Specialists is first rate in every regard. The entire team is extremely knowledgeable, thorough, and compassionate. I have already made significant improvement in just three weeks.

5 stars

Laurie G.

TexPTS

I have had a great experience with everyone at Texas Physical Therapy Specialists. Such a friendly, laid back, and encouraging environment. They are on top of their game, and you can tell by the way they greet patients, work with them, and manage their team.

5 stars

Rebecca S.

TexPTS Patient
Schedule Now