By ReCPySADmin 01/11/2024 Conditions

Age Related Rehabilitation

If you’ve experienced continuous pain or discomfort while chewing, or felt like your jaw was “locking in” in different positions, or pain and tenderness in the jaw area in general, you might be suffering from temporomandibular joint disorder, often shortened to TMJ disorder.

It is also known to cause headaches or pain around the ears with no other explanation, and even ringing in the ears. With its wide array of symptoms, the effects of TMJ disorder can range from harmless to potentially causing a significant reduction to one’s quality of life, with sufferers often not knowing the cause of their discomfort.

Below, you’ll learn the various ways TMJ disorder can affect one’s life and what treatments are available for the condition.

Have you put your symptoms down to old age?

If you have, you are not the only one. Age is the most common misdiagnosis we hear. Perhaps a family or friend has told you that “it’s just your age” or “that’s what happens when you get older”, so you’ve dismissed the problem. By avoiding the problem, your pain is only likely to get worse, limiting the activities you most enjoy.

It is true that normal, age-related changes happen in the body as we get older. Most commonly, muscle weakness causes us to become less active, further contributing to muscular weakness. It can affect balance, hobbies and quality of life, and the tasks we once took for granted become much more difficult.

Age is not a diagnosis

Let’s be very clear about this, age is not a diagnosis! It can’t be. If that were the case, then how can some 80-year-olds still run 10k races, but some 50-year-olds are unable to walk down the stairs without significant pain? You shouldn’t accept it as a reason for pain either.

There is always a real reason (or most likely a number of contributing factors) as to why you’re suffering with pain. A good physiotherapist will never dismiss your problems as age-related. Whilst there may be some normal age-related changes, there are certainly ways we can help. After a full assessment, we’ll devise a tailored exercise program for you, to help you keep as active, independent and safe as possible.

If you are currently living with pain, here are 5 common scenarios you may be familiar with:

You have accepted that your pain is just because of your age.
Your friends and family have told you that your pain is normal for someone your age.
You are beginning to rely more heavily on others and are losing your independence.
You have been to see your GP, who has also told you there’s nothing you can do.
You are increasingly worried about falling, and this makes you feel vulnerable.

If you would like to know how the team at Recover Physio can help, why not speak to one of our friendly physios first? Just click below to request a callback from a member of our team!

At Recover Physiotherapy, we are committed to helping you, to improve your quality of life. Our experienced team combines advanced physiotherapy techniques with a personalised approach to provide effective and lasting solutions.

Our physiotherapists have been trained by world leading experts and developed a systematic approach. This gives us confidence in finding the root cause for your injury and in order to plan a custom roadmap for recovery.

Find your nearest Recover Physio branch

If you’d like to book a consultation, you can book online at our Princes Street clinic in Norwich, Norfolk, or our clinic at The Nest, Holt Road, Norwich.