HELPFUL LINKS

MEDITATION AND LIFESTYLE RESOURCES

  • I highly recommend this resource by Dr. Suzanne Tough , It provides well researched, yet approachable suggestions for "Cultivating Resilience and Flourishing"

    https://www.connectionsfirst.ca/cultivating-resilience  

  • Some practical suggestions from Joyce

    • PLANNING: you may want to think about how to structure your day. For example, if you have pain later in the day, try to get your more important tasks done earlier. I had a little chat with myself about a week ago, thinking about how I want to feel a month from now, and how I might go about achieving that.

    • LIFESTYLE Eat well, balance your tasks and rest times ! Easy to say and not as easy to do . But we make the changes we can and think about the changes that we might want to tackle in the future. One step at a time. Or maybe I should say One Sleep at a TIme ! Take a couple of minutes to check out Dr. Crabtree’s Six Pillars of Lifestyle Medicine … so helpful …and we know that faulty sleep precedes the onset of TMJ disorders so this is especially applicable to those of us who have TMJ issues. INTRODUCTION https://youtu.be/1NllFBHqzvY or SIX PILLARS EXPLAINED https://youtu.be/-gLT1qZ8R24

      Accept that many aspects are out of your control. Focus on the things you can control, and practice kindness to yourself and others. Understand that it is normal to feel stress and fear , and recognize when this is occurring for you.

    • SUPPORT Please seek support from friends or family or other resources

    • Laughter is good, find things that help to lighten the mood of your mind. There are a lot of funny videos out there !

            Engage in physical activity or helpful exercises according to your current ability. Dance, watch a yoga video, find an exercise class online or in person.

      ·      Take the time to relax your shoulders, take three deep slow breaths, and give yourself the opportunity to reset.

      ·     Learn or use meditation techniques or other spiritual practices that are familiar to you; use opportunities to benefit your mental well being.

MENTAL HEALTH ASPECTS

PHYSIOTHERAPY

  • General questions about conditions treated by physiotherapy check out : www.physio-pedia.com

  • General questions about our profession and patient care links:

Physiotherapy Alberta College and Association

Canadian Physiotherapy Association

TMJ ( Temporomandibular ) or TMD ( Temporomandibular Disorder) Information

FIND A PHYSIO IN ALBERTA •https://find.albertaphysio.com/ use FILTER Musculoskeletal TMJ

JAW SPACE excellent interactive resource website, hot off the press, app in development https://www.jawspace.com/

TMD Wondering if your problem is TMJ related ?

SHORT FORM FONSECA ANAMNESTIC QUESTIONNAIRE

•Do you have difficulty opening your mouth wide?

•Do you have difficulty moving your jaw to the sides?

•Do you feel fatigue or muscle pain when you chew?

•Do you have earaches or pain in your temporomandibular joint (TMJ)?

•Have you ever noticed any noise in your TMJ while chewing or opening your mouth? 

Scoring

•0 points for NO

•5 points for SOMETIMES

•10 points for YES

•

Total Score

•0-15      absence of TMD signs /symptoms

•20-40   mild

•45-60   moderate

•>60      severe

American Academy of Orofacial Pain (AAOP) http://www.aaop.org/
Organization of professionals whose aim is to promote education and awareness of orofacial pain.

 National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research has some helpful information about TMJ issues https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/tmj/more-info

TINNITUS Highly recommended website for tinnitus : https://www.ata.org/

Medications

 

Patient Education, Self-Management, and Treatment Tools

ALILA TMJ VIDEO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mB468Jh9aAY

PAIN LInks are embedded

 

Insomnia

 Canadian Sleep Society - sleep hygiene tips, pain and sleep

 www.cbtforinsomnia.com/

 

iPad Apps

Laterality Training: search NOI Group and Recognition (free)

Book List

The Issue at Hand - Essays on Buddhist Mindfulness Practice by Gil Fronsdal

Positive Coping with Health Conditions - A Self-Care Workbook by Dan Bilsker, Joti Samra & Elliot Goldner

Say Goodnight to Insomnia - A 6-week Program by Gregg D. Jacobs

Painful Yarns - Metaphors & stories to help understand the biology of pain by G. Lorimer Moseley

 

 

Information for Clinicians

RESOURCES

  • Evaluation of the TMJ is performed using the Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders . You can go Here for further information about TMD examinations and forms . https://ubwp.buffalo.edu/rdc-tmdinternational/tmd-assessmentdiagnosis/dc-tmd/

  • If you would like an article with more information about the DC TMD this might be a good start. https://www.quintpub.com/ofph/ofph_28_1_Schiffman_02.pdf

•EDUCATIONAL VIDEO ALILA TMJ VIDEO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mB468Jh9aAY

•Canadian Dental Association https://www.cda-adc.ca/en/oral_health/complications/temporomandibular_disorder/index.asp

•American Academy of Orofacial Pain AAOP  hosts annual Scientific Conference https://member.aaop.org/event-6110713 April 30- May 3, 2026, Orlando Florida

•Hawkins J, Cervero R, Durning SJ. Enhancing Temporomandibular Disorders Education for Initial Care Clinicians Through Interprofessional Education. MedEdPORTAL. 2024;20:11467.https://doi.org/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.11467. Excellent free TMD tutorial for clinician , 5 hours, developed in response to NASEM article.

•Karegeannes , M   www.freedompt.com , sends out a newsletter every month, inperson and online courses , excellent educator , CEUs for dentists •Joyceclarkphysiotherapy.com TMD videos

•Kraus, S  https://www.tmdstevekraus.com/  great website for publications, forms, course descriptions

•Ohrbach, R., Bair, E., Fillingim, R. B., Gonzalez, Y., Gordon, S. M., Lim, P. F., ... & Knott, C. (2013). Clinical orofacial characteristics associated with risk of first-onset TMD: the OPPERA prospective cohort study. The Journal of Pain, 14(12), T33-T50.

•Okeson, J. Management of Temporomandibular Disorders and Occlusion

•PTBCCT  https://ptbcct.org/    Physical therapy Certification process, member directory, list of publications recommended for certification

•Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario Standard of Practice Dx and management of TMD

•Lövgren, A., Parvaneh, H., Lobbezoo, F., Häggman-Henrikson, B., Wänman, A., & Visscher, C. M. (2018). Diagnostic accuracy of three screening questions (3Q/TMD) in relation to the DC/TMD in a specialized orofacial pain clinic. Acta Odontologica Scandinavica, 76(6), 380-386.

FIND A PHYSIO •https://find.albertaphysio.com/

PRODUCTS

Gentle Jaw https://www.gentlejaw.com/

Jaw Roller https://www.resolvelabs.ca/jaw-rollers

Jaw Space interactive website, https://www.jawspace.com/

Therabite measuring tool https://www.greatlakesdentaltech.com/

KEY POINTS FOR CLINICIANS

Recognize TMD in your patients

·      Pain in jaw / in front of the ear.

·      Constant, or comes and goes

·      TMJ Pain or stiffness on waking

·      Pain with functions such as eating, talking, opening

·      Simple or complex TMD

Actions

·      Watch and see

·      Pain-free diet

·      Pacing 

·      Ice 10 min or heat 15 min.

·      Decrease parafunction

·      Educate - video

·      Stress advice

·      Jaw roller exercise

·      Adjust time/opening for procedures

·      Sleep hygiene

Further actions

·      Refer to trained massage therapist /physiotherapist/chiro