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Patient Testimonial 

Have you ever experienced pain in your jaw? Does it pop, click, or lock with opening and closing? Do you have headaches that begin at the back of the neck or the sides? If any of these sound familiar, you may have a common disorder that affects nearly 10 million Americans each year.

The medical term is: TMJ/TMD Temporomandibular Joint Disorders/ CMD Craniomandibular Disorders, and our physical therapists can help!

Oxford Physical Therapy Centers' offers a TMD/CMD Program which stands apart. Through patient-focused, individualized care our staff can address your pain and limitations to restore functional ability. Read on to learn about the specific symptoms we can treat and what the program includes.

Research indicates that physical therapy can treat the following TMD/CMD symptoms:

• Headaches that begin in the back of the neck or either side of the head.
• Popping or clicking in one or both sides of the jaw (frequently described as clicking with opening the mouth, followed by pain with opening and closing the mouth).
• Facial Pain (often worse in the morning)
• Difficulty Biting or Chewing
• Loss of motion in the jaw (Limitations in opening the mouth).

What does the program include?

• Our skilled Physical Therapists will identify dysfunction of the TMJ, head, neck, and thoracic spine, in order to ensure that your unique set of symptoms is treated to maximize the effectiveness of physical therapy.
• We will then determine which of our specialized treatment options will meet your needs, some of which may include: manual therapy (both in and out of the mouth), soft tissue massage, postural education, behavior management, exercise and/or modalities.
• Our physical therapists will communicate frequently with your physician/dentist in order to ensure a collaborative approach to treatment and provide the highest quality of care.

Don't hesitate to contact us today if you are experiencing any of the symptoms of TMD/CMD. We want to help you!

Adequate sleep is such an important part of good health, but many of us don't get enough or aren't positioning our bodies appropriately to achieve the maximum benefit. Whether you wake frequently during the night due to discomfort, have difficulty falling asleep due to positioning, or find that your joints are more stiff and painful after a night's sleep, these tips may help you!

Tips for Less Pain with Sleeping
 

• Using only one pillow is always best. The idea with using a pillow is to maintain normal alignment of the neck. More than one pillow is likely to position the neck in a poor position, which can lead to pain.
•  If you sleep on your side, try a pillow between your legs to promote good spinal alignment. 
• If you sleep on your back, try putting a couple pillows under your knees to unweight the low back. 
• Try to avoid sleeping on your stomach. When on your stomach, your neck alignment is poor, your low back may be overly extended, and your arms may be in a position which does not allow for normal spinal alignment, all of which can result in pain.

For those of you who are experiencing back pain, sleeping can be very difficult. For this reason, how you sleep can have a great impact on your rest and recovery. Here are some tips to follow on how to get the sleep you need but with less pain!

• Sleep on a firm and flat mattress.
• If you have had a recent injury you may be inclined to stay in bed and rest flat on your back, though this is not frequently recommended. Bed rest should be limited to only 1 - 2 days. After that time you should try sitting occasionally and participate in short walks.
• As mentioned above, while sleeping on your back, it may help to place a pillow under your knees.
• If sleeping on your back is too painful, try lying on your side with one of your knees up near your chest. Again, as mentioned above, placing a pillow or spacer between the knees may also help.
• While lying in bed, do not raise your arms over your head in order to avoid pain-provoking positioning
• If your bed is too soft, it may help to place a piece of plywood between the mattress and springs (5/8 or ¾ inch is ideal) which will help give your back and body more support.