TMJ Specialist

What is TMJ?

Temporomandibular joint syndrome, also called TMJ for short, references pain located in the joint of the jawbone. TMJ connects the lower jaw (mandible) to the skull (temporal bone) in front of the ear. A variety of medical issues can cause the condition, including injury or misalignment of the teeth or jaw, teeth grinding, poor posture, stress, arthritis, and gum chewing.

What are the symptoms?

TMJ, and other issues within the jawbone joint or the surrounding muscles and tissues, can cause a variety of symptoms. The most common symptoms of TMJ include:

• Dull, aching pain around the ear which may extend to the side and back of the head or down the neck
• Difficulty or pain when biting, chewing, talking, or opening and closing the mouth
• Clicking, popping or grating sound when opening or closing the mouth
• Earache
• Headache
• Locking of the jaw

You should seek medical attention if you have persistent pain or tenderness in your jaw, or if you can't open or close your jaw completely.

How can Premier Chiropractic help TMJ joint problems?

Many of the most respected dental journals acknowledge that the structure and function of the cervical spine (neck) has a direct relationship with TMJ disorders. With the integration of both correction of the neck structure/function, and the TMJ, the results are more substantial than other options. Many dentists have referred a great deal of their TMJ cases to chiropractors because of the optimal results. Chiropractic care for TMJ eases the pain by correcting misalignments between your spine and nervous system. The manipulation relaxes your muscles, adjusts your joints, and uses specific trigger points to reposition your jaw. When these treatments are used the natural motion of your jaw joint will return and your symptoms can be relieved. This approach will not only relieve your pain but it can help prevent your TMJ pain from returning.