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Leigh's Offices: Beeliar (Mon & Wed),
Nedlands (Tue & Thurs) Click here for location maps No Referral Needed. Query's / Dr's letters to email - jawphysiotherapist@gmail.com You can use your private health. (Overseas/Country clients; can ring/txt 0448767517 to arrange weekend treatment.) Click here for info on how Medicare can pay for part of your treatment. |
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Treatment usually takes; 4 sessions for jaws, 4-6 sesions for headaches / migraines without aura.
Just to mention a few conditions we treat; Jaw pain, head pain, headaches, migraines, neck pain, pins and needles down your arms, TMJ disc inflammation / disc displacement with/without recapture, Clicking TMJ, Locking TMJ, Trauma to the jaw and neck, Ear pain / pseudo tinnitus / sounds in the ear, Swelling around the TMJ / cheek area / neck area, Wry neck, Sore jaw from sustained opening (dental/orthodontist procedures), Sore jaw/ neck from the sustained neck extension (common from long hair dresser appointments!), Degenerative / Osteoarthritic changes in TMJ, neck, Medial pterygoid haematoma’s, post surgery tongue operations/tongue cancer radiotherapy/chemotherapy where the jaw is restricted in range or bite is different, Lack of bite/back teeth meeting/occlusion, trigeminal neuralgia.........and many more
Just to mention a few conditions we treat; Jaw pain, head pain, headaches, migraines, neck pain, pins and needles down your arms, TMJ disc inflammation / disc displacement with/without recapture, Clicking TMJ, Locking TMJ, Trauma to the jaw and neck, Ear pain / pseudo tinnitus / sounds in the ear, Swelling around the TMJ / cheek area / neck area, Wry neck, Sore jaw from sustained opening (dental/orthodontist procedures), Sore jaw/ neck from the sustained neck extension (common from long hair dresser appointments!), Degenerative / Osteoarthritic changes in TMJ, neck, Medial pterygoid haematoma’s, post surgery tongue operations/tongue cancer radiotherapy/chemotherapy where the jaw is restricted in range or bite is different, Lack of bite/back teeth meeting/occlusion, trigeminal neuralgia.........and many more
Leigh Ray is an expert Physio in TMD, headaches & migraines without aura - (temporomandibular dysfunction)/jaw pain, headaches, migraines and neck pain & upper limb nerve entrapment (pins and needles in the arms and hands). We only treats these conditions. Her clients travel from all over Australia and the World.
Leigh lectures to Physios, Chiro's and Dentists. They are very comfortable to refer to her, as she doesn't treat any other area. Most of her referrals are from word of mouth. Many ENT's, GP's, Dentists, Oral Facial surgeons/Oral Maxillofacial surgeons also refer to her.
Leigh pioneered her techniques in London on Harley Street in 2008, when Dentists started asking her to consult with their clients as they had difficulty treating or getting their instruments into their clients mouths!
Leigh’s passion outside of work is martial arts. Many years ago when she was learning martial arts, she took an ‘upper cut’ to her lower jaw whilst sparing. This caused some cartilage damage 5 days before an important final physiotherapy oral exam! With a locked jaw she had to find a way to fix her own jaw. That was the start of Leigh’s journey to find a way to cope with a clicking jaw, and occasional locking jaw. She is still pain free and has some occasional clicking which is easily managed with gentle exercises. Yes she lives by what she teaches!!!!....Click here for Leigh's CV
Jaw pain is very uncomfortable and can often be associated with ear pain, neck pain and face pain. Most clients experience; ‘clicking’ &/or ‘locking’ of their jaw, jaw pain and neck pain (associated with a 'worn out' / degenerative neck joints). Other symptoms can include: ear pain, tinnitus type sounds, headaches and grinding of teeth. Often anxiety, neck pain and headaches occur before the jaw pain.
Other common symptoms include:
- Pain on chewing, yawning or opening the mouth widely.
- Clicking noises on opening and closing the mouth.
- Difficulty or inability to open the mouth fully.
- Locking of the jaw.
Causes Of Jaw Pain, Headaches & Migraines = usually due to a build up of many medical conditions;
- OSD - obstructive sleep disorder, restricted airways (sinusitis, deviated septums, broken noses, sleep apnoea - adults & kids
- Auto immune disorders (Lupus, Endometriosis, Elhers Danhos, Autism etc) exciting research coming up;
Click here for Gut bacteria and auto immune disorder links
- Bad Gut bacteria, leaky gut, IBS - click here for studies;
Gut health and depression click here
Gut health and fungal overgrowth/candida click here
Wheat can cause gut issues click here
- Hormonal imbalance - click here for info
- Sinus headaches and links to mild - click here
- Stiff neck (cervical spine)
- Direct trauma to TMJ/jaw or poor mechanics (i.e. over bite)
- Jaw muscle imbalance
- Grinding/clenching your jaw at night in your sleep.
- Poor posture
- change of vocal cord quality, choking feeling, neck tightness on the front?
We also work closely with a Vocal Cord Physio - click here for more details
Treatment Includes:
Keeping the neck joints mobile and moving through their full range with gentle mobilisation (gentle hands on treatment, no cracking of neck joints)
Ensuring the neck/jaw muscles are not tight and spasming
Addressing the neck joints and muscles responsible for referring headaches
Gentle jaw physio to make sure the joint is gliding along its correct line of movement (outside and inside—with a gloved hand!)
Exercises to help align the jaw when opening and closing with symmetry
Exercises to strengthen the endurance muscles around the jaw
Considerable retraining for sitting at work, poor posture quickly returns symptoms. Good posture must be checked hourly, readjustment should only take half a minute.
Physiotherapists, Dentists and GP's can now refer for MRI's of your TMJ's if necessary. It is cheaper if an Oral Facial Surgeon, refers you for an MRI. Both jaws need to be scanned for comparison. CT's are cheaper, but we try not to use CT if you are under 40 years of age, as it may damage your eyes, talk to your radiographer if you are concerned.
The specialists for jaw MRI/CT are Perth Radiological in Subiaco.
Definition:
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the hinge joint that connects the lower jaw (mandible) to the temporal bone of the skull. Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) occur as a result of problems with the jaw bone/cartilage/disc, jaw joint, and surrounding facial muscles that control chewing and moving of the jaw. A good jaw physio will not give you exercises that involve chewing a cork or pen, this exercise encourages the big power muscles (Masseter) to work. We have gentle exercises that allow your endurance muscles of the jaw to thicken/strengthen and help realign the jaw, creating and equal bite and ease of movement. Clicking is very normal whilst you are strengthening these muscles and should eventually ease and stop.
The first session can be quite sore after treatment as it is a tightly spaced joint that is quite often stubborn to get moving correctly. Your physiotherapist will let you know how to dampen down the ache and it is important to speak to your physio the next day if it is still very painful. Most people only experience a mild ache for a day and then it quickly settles. The more treatments you have the easier it gets.
If you grind your jaw at night, visiting your dentist for a night guard/splint will greatly help. If you have had your pain and grind your teeth for a long time, it might be best to get an Oral facial surgeon to make your night guard/splint.
Good Tips: Whilst in pain please avoid:
Yawning if it hurts to do so. (yawning is good, just do it gently! You usually yawn when tired in general, have tired/tight facial/jaw muscles and to lubricate the eyes.)
Opening your mouth wide
Testing to see if it still clicks, locks
If your jaw locks up, try not to open your mouth up to that point
Avoid forcing your jaw to unlock – if your jaw locks on one side, often lying on one side will help it unlock – find out which side works for you
Sleeping on your stomach - (this sleeping position will mean constant therapy for your neck and jaw!)
Working long hours
Talking a lot
Chew gum (very bad for jaws in general), do not chew a pencil - this is very old fashioned advise that does NOT help.
Good Tips: To help:
Good sleep habits - go to bed at the same time and wake at the same time
Get more oxygen!! - better sleeping leads to healing and less clenching. Do you snore? Feel unrefreshed after a nights sleep? Sleep with your mouth open? All signs of an oxygen debt, Maybe you need a sleep study? or need to see an ENT?
Hourly breaks from your desk at work
Eating soft food which is cut up into small parts
Keep your work hours a day to 8hrs or less, especially if in front of a computer
Regular exercise – cardio 30-60 min x3/week, stretching classes x2-3/week
Meditation / relaxation time before going to bed to reduce grinding - The simplest exercise is seeing your ideas for the day written on a piece of paper which is scrunched up and thrown into a bin. That bin then recedes to the back of your head/brain for safe storage and recall. Keep doing that exercise until all the thoughts are written down and ‘binned’ or until you fall asleep!!
Leigh's Business coaches have suggested:
Write down all your chores for tomorrow so your brain doesn’t have to remember them that night
Sync your diary and phone diary with all appointments / to do lists / reminders
Mondays – spend some time planning your week – write it down
Each morning – plan your day, write down your chores / ideas in your diary (maybe on your our email calendar)
Analyse your life – do you need more balance
Don’t make other peoples issues your issues, you can help but don’t own those issues.
Splint Treatment at the same time as physio is essential if its needed:
No sleeping disturbance = see a Specialised Dentist or Oral-facial surgeon for an occlusion splint (night guard) if no sleeping problems.
Occlusion Splints - are much better as a lower jaw appliance, they come as either a:
- decompressive splint, or
- neutral splint
The acrylic splints take longer to mould, however they are more comfortable and sit lower in the mouth.
Proxy splints are cheaper/quicker to mould, however they are bulkier and affect the tongue position in the mouth, which we know will then affect sleeping (ie. oxygen uptake or degree of bruxism)
Leigh lectures to Physios, Chiro's and Dentists. They are very comfortable to refer to her, as she doesn't treat any other area. Most of her referrals are from word of mouth. Many ENT's, GP's, Dentists, Oral Facial surgeons/Oral Maxillofacial surgeons also refer to her.
Leigh pioneered her techniques in London on Harley Street in 2008, when Dentists started asking her to consult with their clients as they had difficulty treating or getting their instruments into their clients mouths!
Leigh’s passion outside of work is martial arts. Many years ago when she was learning martial arts, she took an ‘upper cut’ to her lower jaw whilst sparing. This caused some cartilage damage 5 days before an important final physiotherapy oral exam! With a locked jaw she had to find a way to fix her own jaw. That was the start of Leigh’s journey to find a way to cope with a clicking jaw, and occasional locking jaw. She is still pain free and has some occasional clicking which is easily managed with gentle exercises. Yes she lives by what she teaches!!!!....Click here for Leigh's CV
Jaw pain is very uncomfortable and can often be associated with ear pain, neck pain and face pain. Most clients experience; ‘clicking’ &/or ‘locking’ of their jaw, jaw pain and neck pain (associated with a 'worn out' / degenerative neck joints). Other symptoms can include: ear pain, tinnitus type sounds, headaches and grinding of teeth. Often anxiety, neck pain and headaches occur before the jaw pain.
Other common symptoms include:
- Pain on chewing, yawning or opening the mouth widely.
- Clicking noises on opening and closing the mouth.
- Difficulty or inability to open the mouth fully.
- Locking of the jaw.
Causes Of Jaw Pain, Headaches & Migraines = usually due to a build up of many medical conditions;
- OSD - obstructive sleep disorder, restricted airways (sinusitis, deviated septums, broken noses, sleep apnoea - adults & kids
- Auto immune disorders (Lupus, Endometriosis, Elhers Danhos, Autism etc) exciting research coming up;
Click here for Gut bacteria and auto immune disorder links
- Bad Gut bacteria, leaky gut, IBS - click here for studies;
Gut health and depression click here
Gut health and fungal overgrowth/candida click here
Wheat can cause gut issues click here
- Hormonal imbalance - click here for info
- Sinus headaches and links to mild - click here
- Stiff neck (cervical spine)
- Direct trauma to TMJ/jaw or poor mechanics (i.e. over bite)
- Jaw muscle imbalance
- Grinding/clenching your jaw at night in your sleep.
- Poor posture
- change of vocal cord quality, choking feeling, neck tightness on the front?
We also work closely with a Vocal Cord Physio - click here for more details
Treatment Includes:
Keeping the neck joints mobile and moving through their full range with gentle mobilisation (gentle hands on treatment, no cracking of neck joints)
Ensuring the neck/jaw muscles are not tight and spasming
Addressing the neck joints and muscles responsible for referring headaches
Gentle jaw physio to make sure the joint is gliding along its correct line of movement (outside and inside—with a gloved hand!)
Exercises to help align the jaw when opening and closing with symmetry
Exercises to strengthen the endurance muscles around the jaw
Considerable retraining for sitting at work, poor posture quickly returns symptoms. Good posture must be checked hourly, readjustment should only take half a minute.
Physiotherapists, Dentists and GP's can now refer for MRI's of your TMJ's if necessary. It is cheaper if an Oral Facial Surgeon, refers you for an MRI. Both jaws need to be scanned for comparison. CT's are cheaper, but we try not to use CT if you are under 40 years of age, as it may damage your eyes, talk to your radiographer if you are concerned.
The specialists for jaw MRI/CT are Perth Radiological in Subiaco.
Definition:
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the hinge joint that connects the lower jaw (mandible) to the temporal bone of the skull. Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) occur as a result of problems with the jaw bone/cartilage/disc, jaw joint, and surrounding facial muscles that control chewing and moving of the jaw. A good jaw physio will not give you exercises that involve chewing a cork or pen, this exercise encourages the big power muscles (Masseter) to work. We have gentle exercises that allow your endurance muscles of the jaw to thicken/strengthen and help realign the jaw, creating and equal bite and ease of movement. Clicking is very normal whilst you are strengthening these muscles and should eventually ease and stop.
The first session can be quite sore after treatment as it is a tightly spaced joint that is quite often stubborn to get moving correctly. Your physiotherapist will let you know how to dampen down the ache and it is important to speak to your physio the next day if it is still very painful. Most people only experience a mild ache for a day and then it quickly settles. The more treatments you have the easier it gets.
If you grind your jaw at night, visiting your dentist for a night guard/splint will greatly help. If you have had your pain and grind your teeth for a long time, it might be best to get an Oral facial surgeon to make your night guard/splint.
Good Tips: Whilst in pain please avoid:
Yawning if it hurts to do so. (yawning is good, just do it gently! You usually yawn when tired in general, have tired/tight facial/jaw muscles and to lubricate the eyes.)
Opening your mouth wide
Testing to see if it still clicks, locks
If your jaw locks up, try not to open your mouth up to that point
Avoid forcing your jaw to unlock – if your jaw locks on one side, often lying on one side will help it unlock – find out which side works for you
Sleeping on your stomach - (this sleeping position will mean constant therapy for your neck and jaw!)
Working long hours
Talking a lot
Chew gum (very bad for jaws in general), do not chew a pencil - this is very old fashioned advise that does NOT help.
Good Tips: To help:
Good sleep habits - go to bed at the same time and wake at the same time
Get more oxygen!! - better sleeping leads to healing and less clenching. Do you snore? Feel unrefreshed after a nights sleep? Sleep with your mouth open? All signs of an oxygen debt, Maybe you need a sleep study? or need to see an ENT?
Hourly breaks from your desk at work
Eating soft food which is cut up into small parts
Keep your work hours a day to 8hrs or less, especially if in front of a computer
Regular exercise – cardio 30-60 min x3/week, stretching classes x2-3/week
Meditation / relaxation time before going to bed to reduce grinding - The simplest exercise is seeing your ideas for the day written on a piece of paper which is scrunched up and thrown into a bin. That bin then recedes to the back of your head/brain for safe storage and recall. Keep doing that exercise until all the thoughts are written down and ‘binned’ or until you fall asleep!!
Leigh's Business coaches have suggested:
Write down all your chores for tomorrow so your brain doesn’t have to remember them that night
Sync your diary and phone diary with all appointments / to do lists / reminders
Mondays – spend some time planning your week – write it down
Each morning – plan your day, write down your chores / ideas in your diary (maybe on your our email calendar)
Analyse your life – do you need more balance
Don’t make other peoples issues your issues, you can help but don’t own those issues.
Splint Treatment at the same time as physio is essential if its needed:
No sleeping disturbance = see a Specialised Dentist or Oral-facial surgeon for an occlusion splint (night guard) if no sleeping problems.
Occlusion Splints - are much better as a lower jaw appliance, they come as either a:
- decompressive splint, or
- neutral splint
The acrylic splints take longer to mould, however they are more comfortable and sit lower in the mouth.
Proxy splints are cheaper/quicker to mould, however they are bulkier and affect the tongue position in the mouth, which we know will then affect sleeping (ie. oxygen uptake or degree of bruxism)