Many people may be surprised to know that among all of the areas of the body that our chiropractors are able to help, the jaw is on that list. Along with back and neck pain issues, our chiropractors can give relief to those with TMJ or Temporomandibular Joint Disorder.
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder is a group of conditions that affect this specific joint within the jaw. This joint is responsible for connecting your jaw to your skull, so issues within the muscles and ligaments that control that joints movement can cause other problems.
How Can You Tell If You Have TMJ?
If you are experiencing pain in your jaw, cheek, teeth, or front of the ear with chewing or yawning, or hearing clicking sounds in your jaw, or are perhaps having problems opening your mouth wide or experiencing jaw lock with opening it fully, you may be suffering from TMJ. Some people also have problems fitting their upper and lower teeth together when closing their mouths if they have TMJ or may experience hearing issues, earaches, dizziness, or even headaches resulting from this disorder.
TMJ can cause an abundance of potential causes, all of which will be evaluated by our Atlanta chiropractors. Some of the more well-known are dislocation or trauma to the jaw, physical or emotional stressors, or having to keep your mouth wide open for long periods of time like when sitting in a dentist’s chair. Emotional stress in itself won’t cause TMJ, but if you clench your jaw and teeth as a result of the stress, you may end up causing this disorder. Women statistically are four times more likely to deal with TMJ than men.
Treatment
If our chiropractors determine that you do indeed suffer from TMJ, a personalized treatment plan will be established. Our chiropractors try to identify the source of your problem and give you a comprehensive evaluation to do so in order to plan the best treatment strategies for you. Most often, TMJ treatment involves adjustments, exercises, and alternating heat and ice therapy to help alleviate pain.
If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms of TMJ, do not wait to schedule an appointment with our Atlanta chiropractors. Call us at (404) 889-8828 so that we may give you our recommendations and develop the right plan to get you pain-free and feeling better.