NEW YORK CITY
iNTEGRATIVE REHABILITATION GROUP
new york city
integrative rehabilitation group
integrative rehabilitation group
Temporomandibular Joint
(TMJ) Syndrome
About TMJ Syndrome
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) — aka the jaw — is a synovial hinge joint that makes it possible to move your lower jaw in multiple directions and patterns, enabling you to talk, chew, kiss, yawn, and open and close your mouth.
A dysfunctional TMJ can quickly become painful, restricting jaw movement and making it difficult to speak and chew. Medical doctors are often at a loss for solutions, and patients are often referred to a dentist. But there is little evidence to support dental intervention as a solution for TMJ disorders, and dental procedures can sometimes do more harm than good.
TMJ physical therapy takes a holistic approach to TMJ disorders, restoring pain-free functional jaw movement in just a few sessions, without the use of drugs, orofacial devices or surgery, and saving TMJ patients substantial amounts of discomfort, time and money.
Dr. Lev Kalika
About TMJ Disorder Specialist Dr. Lev Kalika
Dr. Lev Kalika, clinical director at NYCIRG, has developed his own unique approach to treating TMJ syndrome after completing an internship in Chile under Mariano Rocabado, a world leader in the conservative treatment of TMJ disorders.
Dr. Kalika’s approach to TMJ treatment includes fascia manipulation therapy, ultrasound guided dry needling, shockwave therapy, and prolotherapy. As an expert in diagnostic ultrasonography with multiple peer-reviewed research articles to his credit, Dr. Kalika leverages ultrasound imaging to visualize the structures affecting jaw function in real time, with the jaw in motion.
Dr. Kalika has over 15 years of experience in treating TMJ disorders, and has published multiple research articles on the topic.
Full Spectrum Holistic Diagnosis is Critical for Resolving TMJ Disorders
TMJ conditions are typically diagnosed based on the patient’s reported symptoms, along with a physical exam of the jaw, neck, face and head. But people with TMJ disorders often report widespread pain throughout the body, and often have other medical conditions. Focusing on the locus of pain without considering other health factors can lead to ineffective and inappropriate treatment that prolongs the patient’s pain and dysfunction.
At NYCIRG, we understand that the human body is an integrated system made up of interdependent structures that function together as a whole, and not just a collection of isolated parts. We use the highest resolution diagnostic ultrasound to visualize all the structures affecting your jaw function. Ultrasound lets us view the jaw in motion, in real time, to identify tissues and structures that contribute to your TMJ pain.
Our personalized approach to patient care means your treatment protocol will specifically target all the factors contributing to your TMJ disorder, and not just a one-size-fits-all series of generic procedures.
Fascial Manipulation Therapy
Healthy fascia is slippery and elastic, enabling soft tissues, bones and neural bodies to glide freely during movement. In addition to developing trigger points, fascia can become densified and sticky, entrapping nerves and inhibiting tissue gliding.
Fascia manipulation therapy helps to restore fascia to a healthy state, relieving pressure on nerves and restoring its ability to glide. By manipulating the fascia, we are able to reduce the tonicity of the jaw muscles and relax the jaw, relieving pain and dysfunction in a fraction of the time of conventional treatments.
Radial and Focused Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT)
ESWT uses high frequency , low energy and low penetration sound waves to stimulate the body’s own reparative mechanisms. It is especially effective for chronic connective tissue disorders and myofascial pain syndrome. Multiple studies have found ESWT to be an effective technology for relieving TMJ muscle pain, especially when used in conjunction with fascial manipulation therapy.
Ultrasound Guided Dry Needling
Forces generated from biting, clenching and grinding of teeth can cause myofascial trigger points — tight knots of muscle fibers that cause pain and interfere with muscle action. Trigger points may also arise in the fascia that encases and connects muscles and their surrounding structures. Ultrasound imaging provides a valuable tool for detecting trigger points and guiding dry needling procedures. When inserted into the trigger point, thin non-medicated needles evoke a twitch response that relaxes tight fibers and restores muscle function.
Prolotherapy
Prolotherapy is a minimally invasive needling procedure that delivers a neutral solution to targeted tissues, evoking an inflammatory response that triggers a cascade of healing reactions. A 2021 study published in the Journal of Maxillofacial Oral Surgery concluded that prolotherapy is an effective therapeutic modality for reducing TMJ pain and improving joint stability and range of motion. They noted that the procedure is safe, economical and easy to perform. When guided by ultrasound imaging, prolotherapy injections quickly and accurately reach targeted tissues
Why NYCIRG’s Holistic Approach is Better than TMJ Dentistry
There is zero empirical evidence that tooth misalignment causes TMJ disorders, or that dental occlusal treatments can help resolve them. Intraoral devices rarely improve TMJ pain, and some may even alter your bite, exacerbating your jaw pain and dysfunction. At the same time, manual stretching and strengthening exercises that target the jaw muscles may have no effect at all.
By contrast, holistic therapies like fascial manipulation and dry needling restore the mechanical function of the jaw by eliminating fascia densifications that entrap nerves, and by releasing trigger points that inhibit muscle action. Ultrasound-guided prolotherapy helps heal the fibrocartilage lining of the TMJ, to restore pain-free gliding.
In terms of timeline and expense, TMJ therapy at NYCIRG is a win-win for patients, effectively eliminating jaw pain and restoring function in a matter of weeks, versus months of expensive dental procedures and costly appliances. To get fast and effective TMJ therapy in NYC, contact NYCIRG today.
Hours of Operation
Monday
10am - 7pm
Tuesday
10am - 7pm
Wednesday
10am - 7pm
Thursday
10am - 7pm
Friday
10am - 7pm
Saturday
Closed
Sunday
Closed
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