TMJ / Jaw Pain

Have you been looking for TMJ pain relief options for quite a while? Understandably, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders can be quite challenging to deal with. That’s because the TMJ facilitates the movement of the jaws and other movable parts of your face. When it gets worn out or inflamed, even the simplest activity like smiling and chewing becomes a significant source of pain.
Finding a way to manage jaw pain can indeed make a huge difference in your life. To start your journey, you’ll need to understand a bit more about your condition, specifically how it happens and what you need to look out for.

What Are the Possible Causes of TMJ Disorder?

The TMJ joint connects your jawbone to your head. It’s a unique type of joint which allows for a smooth jaw movement. With the muscles, tendons, and bones in the jaw area, your TMJ helps you do all sorts of facial actions and activities such as chewing, talking, yawning, and even smiling.

Unfortunately, if you have TMJ disorder, your joint doesn’t work as it should. Instead, your jaw muscles become stiff, and the joints feel painful every time you move your mouth. Muscles that regulate the TMJ contract in response to the nerves which originate from the brainstem.

Many studies have been trying to uncover the potential causes of TMJ. So far, one of the most promising theories involves that of the brainstem. Studies on jaw adjustment chiropractic care suggest that the atlas (C1) and axis (C2) bones end up putting direct mechanical stress on the brainstem and the nerves they contain due to neck trauma.

The brainstem plays a critical role in transmitting signals to and from the brain. So, when it suffers from undue stress, the transmission gets disrupted. This could lead to sending mixed signals or overstimulation of the affected nerves. When this happens, the innervated muscles tend to contract greater. If your jaw muscles end up getting affected, this results in an unbalanced tension, causing you pain and discomfort.

Thankfully, if you search “TMJ chiropractor near me” on Google, a professional can help manage your pain and potentially get rid of it for good.

What are Common Symptoms of TMJ Disorder?

• Headache Patients with a TMJ disorder deal with headaches approximately 80% of the time. Pain often get worse when they move their jaws.
• Ear pain Nearly half of the patients searching “TMJ chiropractor near me” on Google notice ear aching and do not have an ear infection. The ear pain usually affects the front or lower part of the ear.
• Sounds Grinding, crunching, or popping sounds often occur when you have a TMJ disorder. It’s one of the common complaints of patients seeking jaw adjustment chiropractic care.
• Dizziness 4 out of 10 TMJ patients report dizziness or episodes of vertigo. The ear is one of the three body parts responsible for balance, so its disruption may cause balance issues.
• Fullness of the ear About one-third of patients with an upper cervical related TMJ problem experience clogged or full ears. Ear fullness and pain especially happen during airplane trips. These symptoms are due to the disruption in the structure responsible for regulating pressure in the ear, specifically the severe hyperactivity (spasms) of the muscles that control the opening and closing of the ear’s pressure valve.
• Ringing in the ear (tinnitus) Due to the nerves’ overstimulation, 33% of patients have to cope with tinnitus. Ringing and other noises in the ears often resolve after successful adjustments of the upper cervical spine.

Are you keen on learning more about TMJ pain relief? Check out our blogs on TMJ disorders below.

Symptoms & Conditions | Upper Cervical Care

Upper Cervical Care is an effective, alternative treatment to drugs and surgery for a wide variety of symptoms. Below is just a partial list of some of the most common, but if you do not see your health problem on this list do not assume we cannot help you. If you have a central nervous system, then it needs to be unrestricted for your body to function correctly.