Dear Jaw, 

What a journey it’s been. We’ve smiled together, laughed together, and shared many delicious meals. While I appreciate and cherish all the precious moments we’ve had, there seems to be some tension building between us that I want to address. 

For the last couple months, you’ve been making it real difficult to open and close my mouth. There’s now this clicking and grinding that’s going on every time I eat or speak, and things just aren’t as smooth as they used to be. Not only is it making it awkward and painful for me, but there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. Morale is reaching an all-time low, and I’m getting a little desperate for answers. Because of this, I reached out to Garrett Johnson, PT, DPT, Clinic Director for Spooner Physical Therapy. He was absolutely lovely and gave me some insight as to what might be going on between us, and what we can do to fix it.  

Here is what I learned from Garrett, “The cause of our jaw pain and discomfort may not always be clear, but there are several factors that may be contributing to what’s going on.” This includes: 

  • Grinding or clenching of teeth
  • Joint cartilage is damaged by arthritis
  • Jaw injury – car accident, falls, getting punched/kicked in the face
  • Joint disk erodes or moves out of alignment
  • Connective tissue disorders that affect the joint 

Jaw, I thought you may have been going through a rebellious phase, getting back at me for years of taking you for granted and making you chew on taffy and ice cubes. It turns out there might be more to it. Garrett made sure to emphasize our entire body is connected, so often-times the discomfort and pain we are experiencing can by caused by underlying conditions or dysfunctions elsewhere. 

Regardless of who’s to blame, I just want things to be better for us. I asked Garrett if there’s anything we can be doing at home to remedy the situation. He mentioned anti-inflammatories and cold packs could help us feel better in the short-term, but the only true way to make things better is by teaming up with a medical professional and working through our problems. “It really is the best course of action for people to get assessed and issued a formal home program from a physical therapist. The exact causes, conditions, dysfunctions, etc. will be different person to person, and the treatment plan will be adapted to your specific needs,” Garrett explained.  

So Jaw, it’s about time we get the help we need! Garrett mentioned he has friends and colleagues all over the Valley who are able to work with us and get us moving and feeling better. He sent me over this link that allows me to schedule an appointment or complimentary assessment with Spooner Physical Therapy right from my phone or computer. You heard me right, they offer free assessments! 

Thanks for hearing me out and for joining me on this journey. I can’t wait for things to get back to the way they used to be! We’ll have a team of movement specialists at our side working with us every step of the way. If you want some more information about what we’re getting into, Garrett sent us another link that highlights how Spooner Physical Therapy helps with jaw pain.  

Yours Truly