TMJ Problems Are Painful, Common, and Costly.

Here’s What You Need To Know About TMJ Disorders In Order To Recover From This Painful Condition…

The temporomandibular joint is the jaw joint that allows you to open and close your mouth.

Millions of American adults suffer from chronic facial pain, such as jaw pain, headaches or earaches that can be attributed to TMJ problems.

Pain and dysfunction associated with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) affects 10 million + Americans. Up to 12% of people in the US suffer from TMJ problems.

The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (part of the National Institutes of Health) estimates TMJ disorders cost $4 Billion annually… and many people suffering from TMJ problems never get treatment for the problem either because it was misdiagnosed or they just live with it often relying on frequent use of over the counter pain relievers which can come with significant risk over time.

Let’s look at TMJ problems a little more in order to understand another approach that is very safe and has a good likelihood of improving TMJ problems that are causing the symptoms.

What Are Some Of The Common Symptoms of TMJ Problems?

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) connects your jaw to your head on either side.

It enables you to talk, chew, yawn, and more.

It also has major significance in our brain’s activity because of the great amount of input into the brain from our jaw losses of which can cause problems.

People with TMJ dysfunction, problems with the jaw joint and muscles around it may have many symptoms.

• Pain of/around the face, jaw, neck, and/or head. This is especially important because TMJ problems, neck problems, ear problems, and headaches can all be confused for one another by both the person suffering with the problem and unfortunately with the health care providers.
• Jaw pain when chewing, biting or yawning
• Stiffness of the jaw
• Tightness / spasms of the jaw muscles.
• Difficulty opening and closing the mouth, limited motion, and/or locking of the jaw joint.
• Painful clicking and popping of the TMJ
• A bite that feels ‘off‘ because of a change in the way the upper and lower teeth fit together which can lead to other dental problems and pain.

What Causes TMJ Pain and Problems?

The aches and pains come from problems within the temporomandibular joints (TMJ).

These joints work with a complex system of muscles, ligaments, discs, and bones. Problems in any of these tissues causes TMJ dysfunction.

How does the TMJ dysfunction begin?

• Motor vehicle accidents (whiplash) are a common cause.
• Jaw dislocation or injury from any number of things ranging from a fight to a sports injury and many other traumas.
• Arthritis of the jaw that may have begun with an injury that did not heal properly resulting in abnormal ‘wear and tear‘ over time.
• Poor alignment of the teeth causing a problem with the way teeth fit together.
• Physical and other stress can cause TMJ problems due to clenching and grinding the teeth (called bruxism).
• Dental procedures that require prolonged mouth opening.

Other health problems can cause or contribute to TMJ dysfunction and pain.

These can be very serious problems and include…

• Tumors of the temporomandibular joint
• Autoimmune conditions
• Infections of the jaw or teeth
• Other types of arthritis
• Fibromyalgia
• Lyme disease
• Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a connective tissue disorder

Jaw pain may go away with little or no treatment.

Home treatment might include simple things like dietary changes (eating soft foods) or applying ice or heat packs. Many people take over the counter pain relievers which as mentioned above can cause serious side effects.

Unfortunately for many people their TMJ problems persist.

Who Should You See For TMJ Problems?

Dentists and medical doctors are common first places that people do seek care. Often the treatment starts with various pain relievers to help symptoms.

This approach using prescription pain relievers does not address the underlying problem that is causing the pain and other symptoms.

Still some cases resolve on their own and the medication may help people feel better while this happens on it’s own.

Other treatments are often given by dentists that include reshaping teeth, a nightguard appliance to wear, and even surgery.

If you clench your teeth due to tension or anxiety, working with a counselor, psychologist, or biofeedback might help reduceTMJ problems.

According to the National Institutes Of Health, there are no medical or dental specialty of qualified experts trained in the care and treatment of TMD. This means that you might have difficulty finding the right care for your particular problem.

It’s certainly important to rule out serious problems like infection or cancer, but fortunately these aren’t nearly as common as musculoskeletal problems.

Some cases of TMJ dysfunction will require some co-management or referral to another specialist that might include a medical neurologist, rheumatologist, pain management, or dentists.

The National Institutes of Health advises patients to look for a health care provider who understands musculoskeletal disorders (affecting muscle, bone and joints) and who is trained in treating pain conditions.

This is because most TMJ problems are a musculoskeletal problem.

Looking at this recommendation, it seems clear that a Chiropractor is ideally suited to evaluate and treat TMJ disorders because Chiropractors focus on treating both musculoskeletal disorders and pain.

A huge amount of most Chiropractor’s practice is composed of evaluating and treating these 2 issues musculoskeletal conditions and various pain syndromes / conditions that are so common in our society.

We often see people with TMJ dysfunction that is neuro-musculoskeletal in nature in our practice.

These cases often respond very, very well to chiropractic treatment that helps to gently restore normal muscle tone, improve jaw range of motion, reduce pain and stiffness… as well as evaluating other areas that might be contributing to the problem such as posture, neck problems, and more.

If you’re experiencing TMJ problems and would like to see Dr. Hagebusch to find out what he can do to help you,  Contact Us. We’re here to help.