TMJ Problems

Many people know that TMJ stand for temporomandibular joint.  That because problems with the TMJ or jaw joint, are extremely common.  This little joint has to put up with substantial forces when chewing food or even just with talking.  This makes it very susceptible to damage and injury.

Factors that aggravate the TMJ are dental problems such as misaligned or broken teeth, trauma, and postural stress.  Emotional stress and grinding of the teeth can both cause TMJ injury and be a symptom of it.  Other symptoms can include pain on one or both sides, pain in the teeth, headaches, and noises when you open your mouth. 

Here's a tip to test if your TMJ is in trouble.  Hold your fingers together and then bend the index finger.  Open your mouth as far as you can comfortably.  You should be able to easily fit the three straight fingers between your teeth.

Another tip to help your TMJ is to do a light massage on some of the muscles that affect it.  To do this, clench your teeth together while holding the first two fingers of both hands about two inches in front of your ears.  You should feel a muscle pop up as you clench.  Once you find that, relax your mouth.  Then do a light circular massage on these muscles with the same two fingers.  The pressure should be very light but you can do about 1-200 circles over these muscle once or twice per day.  

If none of this helps, the next step is to see your chiropractor.  We work with TMJ on a daily basis and can let you know if we can help of if other evaluation is necessary.