They say laughter is the best medicine. Clearly, whoever came up with that never had TMJ. As a chiropractor for TMJ, I know that laughter is no kind of medicine for someone with TMJ. Neither is eating, singing, whistling, or…
And that’s supposed to be the most fun one of all!
Honestly, all of our favorite activities take a hit because of TMJ disorders – brunch, gossip, karaoke, and that’s just a Saturday. Many people might pass off a minor issue as nothing, hoping it will go away with time. That strategy usually ends with…
Smiling through the pain is not going to cut it when it comes to TMJ dysfunction because even smiling can become painful.
Not attending to issues as soon as they present themselves is a surefire way for that problem to get worse and more pronounced. One week it’s a tight jaw, and the next, we’re drinking our meals through a straw. That sounds a bit dramatic, but TMJ IS DRAMATIC!
Being able to identify the signs of TMJ upfront will encourage us to seek care – chiropractic care if we know what’s good for us – and prevent TMJ from getting worse.
10 Signs of TMJ Dysfunction
- Clicking or Popping
- Jaw Pain
- Headaches
- Ear Pain or Tinnitus
- Lockjaw
- Neck Pain
- Facial Pain
- Teeth Grinding
- Muscle Spasms
- Problems Sleeping
What is TMJ?
Temporomandibular disorder-
…is inflammation of the joint connecting the mandible (jaw) to the skull. It’s a blanket term for a variety of conditions that affect the joints, muscles, and nerves of the face and jaw. A wool blanket from Grandpa’s house that’s scratchy and smells like pipe tobacco.
The jaw joint is a unique, complex joint. It hinges and glides with a bunch of musculatures, and we tend to ask a lot of it during the course of a single day. TMJ is common among younger people and caused by:
- Direct injury or trauma
- Teeth grinding (a cause and a symptom, fun!)
- Nail-biting
- Arthritis
- Misalignments of the jaw
- Infection
- Autoimmune disease
Natural TMJ Pain Relief
12% of the population is experiencing TMJ at any given time. Like, now. And…right…now.
Now is never an opportune time for TMJ.
Many people think that chiropractors only deal with neck and back pain, but they are joint and nervous system experts providing TMJ pain relief every day. Not to mention that problems in the neck can actually cause TMJ.
Misalignments or subluxations in the cervical spine can affect the nerves that control the TMJ and cause pain or dysfunction. Chiropractic adjustments to the cervical spine can help restore proper alignment and function, reducing inflammation and pressure on the TMJ. The jaw joint itself can also be adjusted to improve range of motion and restore balance to the relationship between the joint and the jaw muscles.
In addition to spinal adjustments, chiropractors may also use soft tissue manipulation techniques to relieve tension in the muscles that control the jaw. This can involve massaging the muscles, applying pressure to trigger points, and stretching exercises to help relax and release tension.
Chewing strains the jaw joint and can exacerbate pain, so a modified diet can also help relieve TMJ symptoms. An anti-inflammatory diet is good for our overall health and can help reduce the inflammatory issues that trigger TMJ pain. A soft foods diet may ease the discomfort, but one can only survive so many meals on scrambled eggs and yogurt.
Temporomandibular joint (there’s that word again) pain symptoms might make good excuses to get out of a meeting or, everyone’s favorite activity, get out of a social obligation, but then we’re just stuck with the pain and dysfunction.
The best medicine for TMJ is chiropractic care. We can ditch the pain relievers, muscle relaxers, and wiring our jaws shut, though there are some who may benefit from the latter.
Chiropractic is a natural solution for TMJ pain relief. We can’t wait around for things to get so bad we’re turned off by even the sight of a milkshake. At the slightest inkling of a problem, call us or schedule a time to meet with one of our amazing doctors. It’s time for us to get back to doing what we do best: eating nachos while binge-watching Yellowstone.
We have to catch up!
