Get Rid of TMJ Pain and Protect Your Jaw
Do you often wake up with unexplainable headaches? Or maybe they form throughout the day. You might even notice a pattern of headaches after meals, headaches after your workout, or some other time.
There could be a very simple explanation for these headaches, and it rests in your jaw. Your jaw is made up of two parts, the upper jaw, which is a part of your skull, and the lower jaw, which is only connected to the skull through your temporomandibular joint (TMJ).
Throughout the day, as you chew, speak, yawn, or open your mouth for any reason, the TMJ is working hard to open and close your lower jaw. If there is a problem with your TMJ, you are going to feel it, and the most common symptom is a headache.
TMJ Pain Could be a Sign of TMD
If you are experiencing headaches, jaw pain, sore facial muscles, pain near your ear, or if you hear a clicking or popping when you chew, you could have a condition known as TMD (TMJ dysfunction). TMD is a very common, and yet usually overlooked, condition that affects the parts of the your TMJ.
If there is a strain, an injury, or a misalignment of your TMJ, you will experience some of the symptoms of TMD. We will want to take a look pretty quickly because if TMD isn’t treated, it can worsen!
Common Causes
There are many causes of TMD, but we have selected the three most common to highlight today. There really is no way to avoid TMD, but when you notice the symptoms, we can help you overcome the pain and get back to your normal life!
Injury – A knock to your jaw can cause pain in your TMJ. It might knock your joint out of alignment or cause a tear to the tendons and muscles, which will result in a lot of pain!
Bruxism – Bruxism is another word for teeth grinding. If you catch yourself grinding or clenching your teeth, you could be causing damage to your TMJ that will lead to TMD.
Strain – Sometimes you can cause damage to your TMJ simply by having bad posture or using your jaw with excessive force, like chewing a lot of tough foods!
Treating TMD
Once we know that you are having a problem with your TMJ, we will be able to get to work with treatment. We’ll start with the most conservative treatment options to take care of the pain and discomfort as easily as possible!
Relaxation – Because bruxism plays such a close role with TMJ pain, we might recommend relaxation exercises before you go to sleep or a change to your posture while you work to see if your TMJ gets relief!
Bite Splint – Some patients grind their teeth for reasons beyond stress. In those cases, we will recommend a bite splint to protect your teeth from damage while you sleep. We will continue to look for the cause of your bruxism!
Surgical Intervention – In very rare cases, you may need surgical intervention to correct damage already done to your TMJ. We will try all over avenues before recommending this treatment.
Get Your Evaluation Today!
Let us help you find the solutions to your headaches and migraines by contacting us to set up a consultation or appointment. We would love to hear from you soon so that you don’t have to spend any longer in discomfort! The sooner we begin treatment, the sooner you’ll be free to return to your normal life!
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