The jaw is an amazing joint that facilitates movements such as talking, eating, and making facial expressions. When the jaw joints are not properly seated, it will cause pain and discomfort across the face and jaw, a condition known as TMJ disorder or TMD.

According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), more than 10 million people suffer from TMJ disorders across the United States. If you have been complaining about a pain in your jaw or around your ear, you may be a candidate for treatment by a TMJ specialist.

What Is the Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ)?

The temporomandibular joint or TMJ is the joint that holds together your mandible (lower jawbone) and the temporal bone of the skull. You have two TMJ's, and they are located just in front of the ear on each side of the head. Because of their mobility, they are among the most used and complex joints in the body. Our jaws can move backward and forwards, sideways, and up and down.

Like how your spine has discs, the TMJ also has a disc within the joint that acts as a shock absorber and helps to soak up the forces the joint endures during chewing, yawning, or other jaw movements. When the disc gets displaced or becomes stuck, it can obstruct the normally smooth gliding movement of the TMJ.

To learn more about the connection between head and neck injuries and TMJ, download our complimentary e-book by clicking the image below.

What Are the Symptoms of TMJ Disorder?

There is a range of symptoms linked to TMJ disorders which can lead to varying amounts of discomfort to patients:

• Locked jaw, causing difficulties in opening or closing mouth
• Jaw popping, clicking or grinding
• Aching pain in and around the ear

• Jaw stiffness
• Upper and lower teeth that do not fit together correctly

Other mild to debilitating symptoms that come together with TMD and which most people are unaware of include the following:

• Headaches
• Earaches
• Facial pain
• Neck pain and stiffness

TMJ Pain Treatments You Can Easily Do at Home

Although the TMJ pain can usually go away on its own, certain treatments work to restore comfort and health from inflamed jaw joints quickly. You can start your jaw pain treatment by incorporating some of these simple, at-home activities.

1. Apply a cold pack to your jaw – professional gel cold packs or a block of ice wrapped with a towel can help reduce the numbing or swelling in the temporomandibular joint, which can help relieve the pain you're feeling.
2. Eat soft food – eating chewy, crunchy, hard, and sticky food like whole apples or double sandwiches can hurt the jaw even further. Picking soft and mushy foods such as fish or mashed potatoes decreases the amount of stress you put on your TMJ and allows it time to heal.
3. Avoid pushing your jaw's range of motion to its maximum – be mindful of your jaw as you talk, eat, or yawn. Do not to open your jaw too wide or create too much repetitive movement like chewing gum.
4. Relieve your stress – Stress and emotional upset can cause and aggravate TMJ symptoms. You may find yourself automatically clenching your jaw or grinding your teeth during periods of intense stress and anxiety. Practicing stress-relieving techniques such as meditation, yoga, and gentle exercise helps a lot.

Making these natural remedies a habit will hopefully reduce your jaw discomfort. If your symptoms persist, your doctor may recommend taking anti-inflammatory medications, over-the-counter painkillers, or muscle relaxants.  Sometimes doctors or dentists also recommend the use of a mouth guard to stabilize the jaw or recommend surgery for serious scenarios.

Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care Can Be a Cure for TMJ Disorder

Since many people with TMJ disorders also suffer from neck pain, it is possible that the root cause of the condition is in the neck. Your TMJ, your atlas (C1 vertebra) and your brainstem are located in the same structure.

Your atlas is the uppermost vertebra in your spine. It sits just beneath your skull and is the most freely movable vertebra in your spinal column. It is also responsible for protecting your brainstem. The atlas can become misaligned through injury, repetitive motions, or poor posture. This can cause swelling of the cranial nerves that control the face and jaw muscles. A misalignment of the upper cervical vertebrae can lead to tightening of the muscles of the jaw, neck, and face, which results in the jaw pain you are experiencing.

If other TMJ pain treatment options have not gotten you where you'd like to be, then perhaps it is time to turn to Precision Spine Specialists in Brentwood, Tennessee. Upper cervical chiropractic care addresses the atlas specifically. We use diagnostic imaging that permits us to measure exactly how your atlas has misaligned. This allows us to give proper diagnosis and the information we need to perform a personalized adjustment for each of our patients.

Our upper cervical chiropractic adjustments are very gentle and extremely precise. They also hold in place for as long a period as possible. Once your atlas returns to its original position, you begin to feel better, and your jaw returns to its normal function.

Set a consultation with Precision Spine Specialists to learn more about upper cervical care and see if it can be the missing piece on your path to better TMJ.

References:

https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/oralhealth/Topics/TMJ/TMJDisorders.htm

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tmj/symptoms-causes/dxc-20209401

To schedule a consultation with Dr. Hall, call our Brentwood office at 615-488-7891 or just click the button below.

If you are outside of the local area, you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com