When people think about seeing a chiropractor, they often associate them with treating conditions relating to the spine or neck. However, chiropractors can also help treat other body areas and help with TMJ disorders.
TMJ is an acronym that refers to the temporomandibular joint, where the mandible (also known as the jawbone) and tour temporal bone (more commonly known as your skull) meet.
In simple terms, your TMJ acts as the hinge that keeps your jawbone and skull connected. However, in some cases, problems can arise in the TMJ, causing a disorder in the joint. By seeing a North Vancouver chiropractor, you can help to treat these disorders when they occur.
Causes of a TMJ Disorder
It can be challenging to determine the exact cause of a person’s TMJ disorder, as the reasons can range, with many of the causes still not fully understood. Some of the known causes of a TMJ disorder are:
- Arthritis
- Long-term grinding of the teeth
- Chronic jaw clenching
- Injuries or traumas to the jaw
- Genetics
- Certain disorders related to the neck
Symptoms of a TMJ Disorder
When your TMJ is experiencing a disorder or is disjointed, there can be some tell-tale symptoms that can cue you to their existence, such as the following:
- Swollen and painful joints around the jaw
- Clicking when your mouth opens or closes
- Aching in the areas around your ears
- Difficulty with chewing without pain or loud clicking
- Difficulty opening and closing the mouth
- Chronic headaches or neck pain
- Tinnitus
- Dizziness
- Sensitivity in the teeth, despite having no dental issues
These symptoms can occur on just one or both sides of the jaw. The symptom of clicking especially is common when there is a TMJ misalignment. Still, unless there is associated pain or other symptoms, it is usually passive and does not require treatment.
How can Chiropractic Care help?
A chiropractor can help you restore the range of motion to the joints within your body while strengthening your muscles and overall health. As the TMJ is a joint like any other, most chiropractors are trained to help correct misalignments and disorders within them.
A chiropractor will often focus on three key areas of the jaw to help treat jaw pain: Your masseter, temporalis, and pterygoid.
The masseter is a thick muscle in the upper jaw which allows you to apply pressure more properly and chew.
Your temporalis is a thinner muscle that covers a larger area of the jaw, going up into your temple and further assisting with chewing.
Finally, the pterygoids are muscles that extend along the lower jaw and can be more difficult to work with compared to the other two muscle groups.
During your treatment, your chiropractor will move between the muscle groups and soft tissues, feeling around to check for any potential issues before moving on to the TMJ itself. During an analysis of the TMJ, chiropractors will test things like which side of your jaw opens wider, when you first notice pain while talking or chewing, and work with applying various pressure. Certain treatments can include muscle manipulations, needling, or laser treatments.