10 Things You Didn t Know About Jaw Pain Treatment Services
It is natural for one's body to go through some wear and tear even as we get older. Many of my patients feel these effects within their joints and bones. They come to me frequently for treatment of arthritis in the back or legs, but I don't get as many complaints about jaw pain. This could be due to the truth that people who experience facial soreness or difficulty chewing do not realize that weak joints-not simple old age-are to blame.
These painful joints within your jaw are known as TMJ Syndrome. TMJ refers to temporomandibular joints which are the bottom a part of the jaw to the sides of the head, just in front of the ears. Approximately one third of the population has experienced some level of TMJ, but extreme cases are rare. It's important to be aware of the symptoms and causes of TMJ so you may recognize this condition before it escalates and severely impacts your life.
Like all the joints in your body, the TMJ can succumb to osteoarthritis, the wearing down of joints as a result of aging. Rheumatoid arthritis may also be the cause of TMJ, as this inflammatory disease may erode cartilage and bone, weakening the joint. Frequently, a dentist will be the very first to diagnose a patient with TMJ. Your dentist is almost certainly to notice the effects of grinding and clenching, which often occur during sleep. Your dentist might also notice if your bite alignment is off or maybe if you've got a weak bite. All these things could be factors in TMJ syndrome.
My older patients are not the only ones who experience TMJ. An injury to the jaw can cause TMJ symptoms that recur if untreated. Stress is additionally among the leading causes, and it can strike at any age. Stress tends to cause the grinding and clenching that weaken and strain the jaw. In the event that you are able to detect that you will be grinding throughout the night (maybe your spouse has noticed) I would suggest first trying some stress reduction techniques like therapy, massage or meditation.
The most common TMJ symptom is pain in the jaw area. You may in addition have sore shoulders, neck or back. Pain when chewing food and trouble swallowing are irritating, but common signs. You might hear clicking and popping sounds whenever you talk or chew because of improper jaw alignment.
This faulty alignment could also cause swelling of your face, headaches, dizziness and nausea. Due to proximity, the TMJ joints may have an impact on the ears, causing ringing or hearing problems. In extreme cases of TMJ syndrome, the jaw may become locked, by which case you should immediately seek treatment.
TMJ symptoms may be relieved relatively quickly, provided you practice good habits of self-care. If you're prone to TMJ pain, avoid chewing gum and break the habit of chewing on fingernails or pens. When symptoms flare, your goal should be to provide your jaw a much-needed rest. What this means is switching to soft foods, supporting your jaw with the back of your hand when yawning and relieving pressure with a neck support pillow or a rolled up towel.
You can reduce the risk of jaw pain everyday by having good posture. When sitting at your desk, make certain your chin isn't going to jut forward. If you also experience back pain, a chiropractor recommended site could possibly be able to correct misaligned joints in your spinal cord and pelvis, as well as the TMJ.
Other natural alternative treatments for TMJ include acupuncture, which could reduce pain and relieve stress. Naprapathy is a system of manipulating damaged connective tissue, which cause structural imbalance within the body that irritates the nervous-system and causes pain. This treatment could possibly be a solution if your TMJ is a result of an injury that has damaged your musculoskeletal alignment.