Airway Dysfunction as a Driver of TMJ Pathomechanics

Physical therapists specializing in TMJ disorders are skilled at identifying and treating mechanical and neuromuscular dysfunction—yet one critical variable often remains invisible: airway compromise. This webinar reveals why some TMJ patients plateau despite effective manual therapy, postural correction, and neuromuscular re-education. Through screening principles and a detailed composite patient case, attendees will learn to identify airway dysfunction as a hidden driver of bruxism, disc displacement progression, and treatment resistance. You’ll explore how structural constraints (high narrow palate, tongue tie, septal deviation) and neuromuscular compensation patterns converge to compromise the upper airway—and why both hardware and software interventions are necessary for durable outcomes. The session closes with a practical referral framework for collaborating with dentists, ENTs, and sleep medicine specialists, equipping you with the language and clinical reasoning to integrate airway assessment into your existing TMJ evaluation.