TMJ
Right in front of your ear lobes, place your hand on your face. Open and close your mouth and you will feel your temporomandibular joint or TMJ. This joint connects your lower and upper jaw.
TMJ Symptoms
Many issues can arise from problems with the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and the muscles and tissues around it, including:
- Dull aching pain around the area of the ear. It could extend down the back of the head or neck or to the side of the ear.
- Pain or problems when biting, chewing, opening and closing the mouth, and/or talking
- Popping, grating, and/or clicking sound when opening and closing mouth
- Headache
- Jaw pain and/or locking
- Earache
If you are suffering from this condition, you are not alone. Many people suffer from this disorder. The National Insitute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) believes 10 million Americans have TMD. Another 75% of us have experienced one or more of the symptoms of TMD. According to the experts, the best treatment would be some type of conservative, reversible non-invasive treatments instead of more aggressive treatments involving surgery and implants.
Chiropractic treatments can often help relieve some of the symptoms by manipulation of the jaw & temporomandibular joint and surrounding muscles to alleviate the tension and pain.