TMJ

TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint, which causes acute or chronic pain in the jaw, that is connected to the mandible and to the skull. There are numerous treatment options.

The many symptoms associated with TMJ disorders may be:
* Tinnitus (ringing in one or both ears)
* Headache (normally in the evening)
* Earache (normally in the morning)
* Discomfort in biting or chewing
* Pain in the face
* Migraine (normally in the morning)
* Reduced ability to open or close the mouth
* Loss of hearing
* Dizziness
* Clicking or popping sound when opening the mouth
* Neck and/or shoulder pain

Each TMJ has 2 joints, which is why the jaw is able to rotate and "slide" (translate). Although clicking is common, pain is the most biggest factor when diagnosing TMJ.

The following are some external factors that may or may not cause TMJ:
* Myofascial pain syndrome
* Mal-alignment (due to orthodontic treatments, crowns, genetics, etc.)
* Trauma (such as sports related, whiplash from motor vehicle accidents, chin injuries, etc.)
* Thrusting of the jaw
* Clenching from stress or anger
* Osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease)
* Eating very hard foods, chewing gum excessively, and nail biting
* Bruxism (clenching or grinding of teeth which is done unconsciously at night)
* Lack of overbite
* Exaggerated opening of the mouth

Treatment

There are many different options to take to treat TMJ, one is surgery. Usually surgery is taken into consideration when other means of healing have not been successful.

The following are holistic and non-surgical methods to treat a TMJ disorder:

* Acupuncture - has been effectively proven to reduce the pain associated with TMJ. Acupuncture treatments do prevent further complications, although, depending on how mild or severe your pain and disorder may be, it may take 6 treatments or more to correct the problem.

* Chiropractic Care - can ease pain by correcting the misalignment between the spine and nervous system. Adjustments can be done by hand to the joints, by using a technique that causes a small stretch inside the joint to release any fibrous attachments made by any previous trauma.

* Massage Therapy - mainly focus on the reduction of tension in the chewing (masticatory) muscles. Registered massage therapists follow many techniques when treating TMJ disorders, such as, neuromuscular therapy, cranial-sacral therapy, swedish massage, post-isometric relaxation, and acupressure.

All forms of treatment are safe and effective.

Should you have specific concerns about treatments, please do not hesitate to contact the office, and speak to one of our professionals.

Sources:
http://www.altmd.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temporomandibular_joint_disorder