How Problems Develop with TMJ
Problems can arise from many structures in and around the TMJ joint, including the muscles, joint surfaces and a small disc that sits inside. Muscle imbalances are common and can lead to stiffness or pain (or both) when opening and closing our mouth. Tightness in the surrounding muscles could be a result of trauma to the jaw (like being punched or hitting your chin after a fall), clenching when sleeping (known as ‘Bruxism’), a neck dysfunction/restriction, or from dental problems such as having an uneven bite.
People who are stressed will often clench their jaw in their sleep, which may lead to waking up with a sore jaw or headaches. Inside the joint itself is a small disc which slides and moves during jaw movements. Sometimes this disc can become ‘displaced’ and may not slide and move as smoothly as it should. This may often lead to a jaw that clicks or cracks when opening the mouth. For the most part, the click is painless, however some people may experience pain alongside a click. In some severe cases, the jaw may temporarily lock, which as you can imagine would be quite distressing to experience. Pain from the jaw joints can sometimes also present as ear pain.
What is the best treatment for Jaw?
Headache & Tendon Christchurch Chiropractor, Dr John Gibson is specifically trained in TemporoMandibular Jaw (TMJ) treatment strategies and treats many patients efficiently with these advanced techniques.
It is always recommended to have highly effective & inexpensive manual specialised therapy/ TMJ treatments at clinics like Headache & Tendon, Christchurch before considering surgery or more specialised invasive dental protocols.
What is a jaw specialist called? Temporo-Mandibular Neuromuscular treatments are specialised in this field to release locked jaw, painful jaw, misaligned jaw, over-bight, general face pain etc…
Is jaw surgery for TMJ worth it? Not always . In some cases surgery is necessary and critical, but your TMJ Practitioner at Headache & Tendon Christchurch is highly trained to refer immediately if necessary when diagnosed. After thorough investigation he will prescribe treatment protocol if it is determined full recovery can be likely achieved with non invasive manual procedures. Headache & Tendon Christchurch achieves a very high success rate of full recovery of symptoms after performing TMJ treatments - therefore we suggest this as an option before seeing a medical specialist to suggest invasive and expensive surgery.
Can GP help with jaw pain? Not generally. A GP will refer usually to a specialist that performs surgery - rather than suggest referral to a TMJ practitioner/Chiropractor who is trained to reverse the condition with specific alignment soft tissue release techniques.
Chiro/Osteo treatment for TMJ dysfunction
Treatment for TMJ dysfunction will greatly depend on the cause of the dysfunction. A simple muscle imbalance may be corrected by soft tissue release of the jaw muscles, joint mobilisation, and corrective mobility and strengthening exercises. However, it can be more complex. A TMJ dysfunction may come hand in hand with a problem in the neck and shoulders, be it a restriction of movement or poor stability and strength in the region. A BioMechanical approach to treating TMJ dysfunction will include acknowledgement of the alignment of the head, jaw, neck, shoulders.
If we believe your TMJ issues stem from a dental issue, we may refer you to the dentist for a check-up as sometimes problems can be resolved with input from both professions.
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