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The temporomandibular joint, also known as TMJ, is a joint thatallows us to open and close our mouth. The temporomandibular jointconnects the lower jaw, the mandible, with the skull acting as ahinge and makes it possible to move our jaw side to side.
When there is difficulty in using the jaw and the muscles inyour face, it is known as a temporomandibular joint disorder,TMJ.
If you are having jaw and neck pain, there could be a problemwith your temporomandibular joint.
Other Symptoms of TMJ Jaw and NeckPain
Aside from experiencing pain, other symptoms may be felt if youhave jaw and neck pain associated with TMJ. Symptoms may involveother areas like the face and ears. Other symptoms you mayencounter with jaw and neck pain from TMJ include thefollowing:
Clicking or Popping of the Jaw - Clickingor popping of the jaw is an extremely common symptom in TMJ. Ifthis is the only symptom you have, it is best to be safe and let aprofessional know right away.
- Tooth Grinding or Clenching - With thejaw being out of alignment, tooth grinding and clenching may beginto occur or become more of an issue.
- Lock Jaw - Lock or a stuck jaw can happenin the closed or open mouth position.
- Earaches - This ear pain symptom is morelikely to be a dull ache and can worsen with jaw movement. Onoccasion, one may have a sharp sensation over the dull ache. For anadult, the most common cause of ear pain is a temporomandibularjoint disorder.
- Neck Aches - This pain may worsen whileusing the jaw but can be felt even while at rest.
- Headaches - Headaches associated withTMJ are typically tight and dull aches. This symptom mostcommonly occurs on one side, but it is possible to occur onboth.
- Facial Pain - Cheek and temple pain canbe dull and achy. These areas could undergo swelling.
- Difficulty Chewing - Because of the jawbeing out of alignment, many people who have TMJ jaw and neckpain have trouble chewing and feel as if their teeth are notclosing properly.
- Swelling on Side of Face - Most likelydue to the damage and inflammation of the joint capsule, swellingon one side of the face may occur. This can be persistent evenafter the jaw has rested or may only appear after using thejaw.
- Tired Feeling in the Face - Facialmuscles will work hard to offset for TMJ. This causes your facialmuscles to feel tired or saggy on one side. This discomfort can bepersistent or appear only after using the jaw.
- Pain or Tenderness in Neck, Shoulders, and Around theEar - This pain or tenderness may occur whilechewing, speaking, or yawning.
- Tinnitus - A “phantom noise” that soundslike humming, whistling, ringing, whooshing, buzzing, roaring, orwhizzing.
If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms along withyour jaw and neck pain, it is recommended to see a professionalabout treatment right away before symptoms get worse.
Treatment Options Available
Treatment options for jaw and neck pain from TMJ includemedication, therapies, surgery, and alternative medicine. With somany options available, how do you know which route to take?
Our bodies have the natural ability to heal and repairthemselves. While it can be quick to go after medication orsurgical treatment options for fast relief, these treatment optionsdo not help the body heal or repair from the underlying cause ofyour jaw and neck pain.
In addition, medication and surgery force the body to changeunnaturally so that it will ignore or hide the symptoms – notactually correcting the issue. Because of medication and surgeryforcing the body to change unnaturally, side effects may occur.
The most popular medications used for quick jaw and neck painrelief are pain relievers and anti-inflammatories, tricyclicantidepressants, and muscle relaxants. Each of these medicationshelps certain symptoms of TMJ but does not alwayswork.
Nondrug therapies consist of oral splints or mouth guards,physical therapy, and counseling. These therapies are made to helpprovide some relief along with finding factors that can heightenyour jaw and neck pain so you may avoid them. While this helpsrelieve some pain and discomfort, they solely focus on the symptomsand not the underlying cause.
Surgical and other procedures, such as injections, are suggestedwhen other treatments have been unreliable:
- Arthrocentesis - is a minimallyinvasive procedure involving the insertion of small needles intothe temporomandibular joint so fluid can be irrigated through thejoint to remove any debris and inflammatory byproducts.
- Injections - are used to relieve pain byinjecting corticosteroid into the joint or botox into the jawmuscles used for chewing.
- Arthroscopy - for TMJ involvesplacing a small thin tube into the joint space to insert anarthroscope and small surgical instruments for surgery.
- Modified condylotomy - focuses on themandible and not the joint itself to help the pain andlocking.
- Open-joint surgery - involves more risks than other proceduresand is only recommended if no other treatments have proved helpful.In this surgery, the joint is repaired or replaced.
Before these options, however, it is best to bring a morenatural treatment to light that could provide better results bytargeting the underlying cause without harming the body: Uppercervical treatments.
A Treatment That Allows Natural Repair andHealing
Upper cervical treatments are unlike any other treatmentavailable. Why? Because these treatments focus on the mostimportant part of your body: the brainstem.
If there is pressure placed on the brainstem, many complicationscan occur throughout your body and cause conditions and disordersto arise through these complications.
Without a proper functioning brainstem, the body’s naturalability to repair and heal itself declines. In addition, an uppercervical misalignment can easily dislocate the jaw as your uppercervical spine is located right underneath the base of yourskull.
Giving back your body’s natural ability to heal and repairitself means your brain to body communication will no longer bedistorted, eliminating many symptoms such as pain, aches, andmental fatigue.
With a properly aligned upper cervical spine, the jaw can shiftback into place and correct itself to follow the proper alignmentof the upper cervical spine.
Because upper cervical treatments allow the body to target theunderlying cause instead of solely focusing on the symptoms, manypatients report most or even all symptoms dissipating in theprocess without additional help from medication or surgicalprocedures.
In fact, patients who have relied on medication or surgicalprocedures in the past have still seen a large improvement. Best ofall, it is gentle and safe enough for any age experiencingTMJ jaw and neck pain.
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