Chiropractic Care for TMJ Pain
According to The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, as many as 10 million people suffer from temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD). The temporomandibular joint is more commonly known as the TMJ. This little joint connects your jaw to your skull and allows you to open and close your mouth. If you place your finger next to your ear as you open and close your mouth, you can feel the joint moving. When this joint is out of sorts, it can cause a variety of problems, and many people mistake TMD for other issues.
Symptoms of TMD
- Clicking or popping when talking or chewing.
- Pain in the jaw that radiates to ears, neck, and shoulders.
- Swelling on the affected area’s side.
- Pain and ringing in ears and hearing loss.
- The jaw joint may get stuck in an open or closed position.
- Headaches, dizziness, and nausea.
Chiropractic Care Can Help TMD
TMD may seem out of the scope of chiropractic care, but some techniques have been shown to be effective in relieving the pain and symptoms associated with TMD. Independent studies have looked at the use of activators during a chiropractic adjustment (see references below). Each found that there was a significant improvement in patients who completed the treatment protocol.
In one study, fourteen patients with an activator instrument in combination with certain trigger point therapy techniques. These techniques resulted in a reduced amount of pain and other symptoms experienced by those patients
Chiropractic care for treating TMD has been shown to be effective. If you are experiencing TMD symptoms, schedule an appointment with Dr. Orrin Smith today!
References:
https://www.emedicinehealth.com/temporomandibular_joint_tmj_syndrome/article_em.htm
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0161475403000964
