If you place your fingers in front of each ear and open your jaw, you will feel lots of movement. This is where your skull’s temporal bone attaches to your mandible (jaw), and it is called the TemporoMandibular Joint (TMJ). Many ligaments, cartilage, fascia, muscles, nerves and blood vessels run in, around and through it, and there is a disc located in the TMJ, too.
When the TMJ is misaligned it can cause all kinds of problems: trouble opening the mouth wide, clicking or popping sounds, a locked jaw, headaches, hearing loss, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), throat fullness, facial swelling, shoulder, cheek or jaw pain, neck aches, facial nerve pain, ear or eye pain, dental pain, nausea, blurred vision and even dizziness!
Many TMJ dysfunction sufferers can benefit greatly from chiropractic care. By releasing pressure in the spine and cranial bones, Chiropractic may relieve or completely correct TMJ problems! The jaw is a joint unlike any other in the human body; having a Chiropractor check the alignment of that joint is critical if you’re having any of the symptoms listed above. Here at Clearview, I use the Activator instrument to adjust TMJ’s on people because it is so gentle and very specific.
Anyone who has been to the dentist should follow up with a quick stop at their chiropractor to make sure the TMJ is in correct alignment. Clenching your teeth, whether it’s a habit from stress or if you’re doing it at night while you’re sleeping, can greatly effect the alignment of your TMJ. Any type of neck/head trauma from different accidents or injuries can misalign it. All TMJ dysfunction sufferers need a chiropractic spinal checkup. Do you know someone who has jaw problems? They may really appreciate knowing what Chiropractic can do for them!
