TMJ (Temporal Mandibular Joint)

What Is It?

We all have one. In fact, we all have two! The temporal mandibular joints attach the jawbone to the skull (temporal bone and mandible) and control the movement of your jaw. When pain arises in the joints and surrounding muscles it’s considered to be a TMJ disorder.  Pain in these areas can be caused for a variety of reasons.  Genetics, arthritis, or a jaw injury are all potential precursors.  Habitual teeth grinders or clenchers can also develop this condition, but neither automatically means it’s your destiny.


 

Symptoms:

  • Pain or tenderness in your jaw or in the TMJoints

  • Aching around your ear in your face

  • Pain or difficulty chewing

  • Difficulty opening or closing your mouth

Holistic Treatments

While it’s always good to see your doctor or dentist to confirm a TMJ disorder, the following treatments can be used with or without this step to start reducing pain.

  • Mouth guard -if you know you’re a night grinder, this can help reduce the pressure in the joints. At the very least, it can help you from eroding the top layer of your molars

  • Avoid overusing jaw muscles -maybe skip that caramel apple and avoid gum or overly chewing meats and other foods that require excess mastication. Cutting foods into smaller pieces can also be helpful

  • Moist heat or ice -can help reduce pain

  • Acupuncture -can help reduce inflammation and pain

  • Relaxation techniques -Breathing exercises can help reduce anxiety which can help muscles relax and in turn, reduce pain

  • MASSAGE! - Not surprised this was an option, right?! ;-) Massaging the muscles around your jaw can help reduce pain by loosening them so they’re not pulling the bones together so aggressively. There are also structural integration techniques that are performed inside the mouth to access some hard-to-reach jaw muscles.

If you think you may have TMJ disorder, stop in for a treatment and learn some techniques you can do on your own.

Self-Massage Technique 

  • Place a tennis ball on a yoga block or stack of books.

  • Place side of jaw on ball.

  • Slowly and repeatedly open and close the jaw

  • Do for 45-90 seconds

 
DanielleComment