Are You Suffering With Jaw Pain?

It may surprise some to learn when jaw pain strikes, a dentist may not be your best bet.  Chiropractic care can not only provide short-term relief from pain, like medication, but can also help prevent future jaw pain.

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the fancy term for the joints between the upper and lower jaw.  This is the most common spot for reported jaw pain.

A number of different issue can cause jaw pain.  Injury or trauma to the joint, misalignment of the jaw and teeth, stress, poor head posture, excessive or vigorous chewing, or having dental work performed can all cause TMJ issues.  A lot of times teeth grinding is associated with TMJ pain as well.

Aside from pain in the jaw, symptoms of a TMJ problem can include difficulty chewing, clicking, popping, or even locking of the jaw.  You may notice your teeth don’t appear to be lining up correctly.  As a result, you may even notice teeth clicking together differently.

Pain in the TMJ can lead to face, head, neck, and shoulder pain.  Furthermore, if left uncorrected, headaches, dizziness, earaches, and even trouble hearing can await chronic sufferers.

So How Can Chiropractic Help?

In our office, we use the Activator Method to help correct jaw misalignment.  An Activator is a tool that delivers a low-impact, high-frequency adjustment to a specific area.  We most often hear it referred to as the “clicker” by patients.

The Doctor will have you perform a series of opening & closing movements as she feels the movement of your jaw.  She is checking for misalignment, “catching,” and mobility of the TMJ.  As she feels where the restrictions are, she will use the Activator to perform an exterior adjustment to the TMJ.

You may notice an immediate improvement in your TMJ mobility.  The Doctor may also perform trigger point therapy.  Sensitive areas made up of muscle fibers are trigger points.  The “knots” we feel when massaging an area are trigger points.  Manipulating these areas can cause the trigger points to “release,” therefore causing a significant improvement to your jaw pain.

Before you jump to changing your diet to consist of only soft, easy-to-chew foods, taking drugs, or wearing a bite guard at night, talk to us.  Chiropractic care may be the solution to your jaw pain.