ATM and Occlusion

If you have headaches, earaches, pain in the articulations, neck or face, sinus, sleep apnea or oral breathing you are likely to have ATM.

The treatment comprises aligning the jawbones though orthodontic appliances and physical therapy to rehabilitate the neuromuscular system.

Physical therapy aims at complementing the work of orthodontic appliances by rehabilitating the muscles in charge of chewing as well as jaw positioning. This is done through suitable exercises.

Changes in the position of the jaws come along with posture alterations as a whole - backbone, shoulders, pelvis and even arms and legs. For instance, in the position 2, where the jaw is retracted - chin goes backwards - the head is usually positioned backwards, the eyes to the floor and the trunk leaning to the front. Position 3, the jaw is protruded (chin forward), the head and the upper trunk are taken backwards and the pelvis is dislocated forward to make up for it.

That's why physical therapy has to take into consideration the global posture in relation to the jaw posture. It should organize them altogether through specific exercises to fix their unique alterations. During these exercises the person is stimulated and oriented to organize the position of the different body segments and the jaw.