Headaches/Migraines
How many doctors or headache centers have you consulted about your headaches?
How many different drug therapies have you tried?
If you’re reading this website, you’ve probably tried them all and seen more doctors than you can remember.
Most treatments for migraines and chronic headaches only address the symptoms. They may help for awhile, but the headaches never really go away, do they?
One cause of chronic headaches and migraines is TMJ. Studies have shown that nearly 90 percent of migraine sufferers have TMJ problems. When the TMJ disorder is treated, an overwhelming 90 percent of patients treated experience relief from their headaches.
Jaw Pain
Because the TMJ is such a complex joint, your pain might not even be directly at the site of the joint. Grinding and clenching your teeth, especially your back teeth, put enormous strain on the TMJ. The pain can originate there, but radiate out to other parts of the jaw and your face.
Neck/shoulder pain
Neck and shoulder pain often go together with headaches. When you have a headache (or any type of pain), you tend not to move in a natural way since you’re trying not to exacerbate the pain. Unfortunately, when you’re holding yourself and moving stiffly, more pain, especially in the neck and shoulders, is exactly what you’ll get. Many people describe the pain as a knight’s helmet – it starts at the head and cascades down through the neck and shoulders, and even into the back.
Jaw Clicking and Popping
When the TMJ is out of alignment, it can make a clicking or popping sound when you use it to open your mouth, bite, chew, speak or yawn. This is one occasion when symptoms of a TMJ disorder occur directly in the TMJ.
Limited Opening or LockJaw
If you’ve experienced difficulty opening your jaw all the way, or if your jaw locks up when you’re eating certain foods, perhaps something chewy, this is a common sign that the TMJ joint is out of alignment.
We use the Myotronics K7 system to measure and evaluate your jaw and its functioning. It takes gentle, non-invasive measurements of your jaw using electronics and sonography to track the motion of your jaw. It gives us comprehensive data about your bite and the TMJ joint that helps us develop your treatment plan.
Ear Congestion
The Eustachian tube in your ear regulates the pressure in your middle ear. It’s regulated by several small muscles in the back of your throat and in the palate. Swallowing and yawning also contract these muscles. When your jaw is out of alignment, these muscles have to compensate and can result in a partial blocking of the Eustachian tube. If you find yourself “popping” your ears frequently, as you do after a plane trip to reestablish ear pressure, you may want to consider have your TMJ checked.
Vertigo
Vertigo is the one of the most common symptoms of TMJD. Many people visit an ear, nose and throat specialist when they experience vertigo, but TMJ is rarely the first diagnosis. Yet when patients suffering vertigo are treated for TMJ, nearly all of them experience a cessation of their symptoms.
Tinnitus
Tinnitus, or a pervasive ringing in the ears, is a common symptom of a TMJ disorder. Patients describe symptoms that range from moderate to severe, including a distortion of voices and other sounds. Very often, this can occur after a tooth extraction if significant pressure has been put on the jaw to remove the tooth. Because of the proximity of the TMJ to the inner structures of the ear, tinnitus and other auditory problems can often be attributed to TMJ.
Difficulty Swallowing
Because the TMJ is very closely associated with an important facial nerve, it’s not uncommon for patients with TMD to have difficulty swallowing or even experience a burning sensation in their throats.
Loose Teeth
Loose or missing teeth can begin a chain reaction of symptoms that result in TMD. In severe cases, it can even cause the skin and muscles of the face to sag or collapse.
Clenching/Grinding
Clenching and grinding your teeth are habits called “bruxism.” It’s often due to stress, aging or other factors. This can wear down the tooth’s enamel, increasing the sensitivity of the pulp underneath it.
Facial Pain
The TMJ is associated with an important facial nerve called the trigeminal nerve. It’s a highly complex and powerful nerve that feeds sensations to your face, jaw, tongue, sinus, palate, eyes, teeth and lips. That covers a lot of territory and could be perceived as a generalized facial pain.
Sensitive Teeth
Sensitive teeth can be both a cause and a symptom of TMJ. Grinding or clenching your teeth – also called “bruxing” - can wear down the hard enamel and make the pulp that lies beneath it sensitive to hot and cold. This is common with people under stress and anxiety, older people and people who use the illegal drug Ecstasy.
Difficulty Chewing
Difficulty chewing can be part of a chain reaction that is both a symptom and cause of TMJ. If you have loose or missing teeth due to periodontal disease or an injury, you may try to compensate by chewing unnaturally. This can put strain on the TMJ which, in turn, will put more strain on the jaw and create more problems chewing.
Situations like this require multi-step therapy where first the missing or loose teeth are replaced. At the same time, careful attention is given to the TMJ to make sure the new teeth put the jaw in proper alignment.
Postural Problems
Take a moment and think of all the eccentric postures we assume during the course of a day – when we’re on the phone, in front of a computer monitor, or typing on a keyboard. Very often we’re not sitting straight up and looking forward as we do this. All of these types of postures put atypical pressure on the muscles of the back, neck and face as well as on the TMJ.
Tingling/Numbness in Fingertips
When your bite is misaligned, the affected muscles in your face and neck can pinch the nerves that extend all the way to your fingertips, creating a tingling or numbness.
Bell’s Palsy
People who suffer from Bell’s Palsy experience weak, numb or paralyzed facial muscles. They often look as though they’ve suffered a stroke, but the symptoms are confined to the face. The muscles of the face are controlled by the facial nerve, which comes directly from the skull and not the spinal cord. The TMJ is very closely associated with the facial nerve. If you suffer from Bell’s Palsy, treating the TMJ may relieve your symptoms.
Nervousness/Insomnia
Chronic pain takes a tremendous toll not only on the body but on the emotions as well. TMJ pain is pervasive. The joint is in such constant and consistent use. Unlike other joints, it’s nearly impossible to rest it. We use it to bite and chew, talk, yawn, etc. At night, it can be difficult to find a comfortable position to accommodate the aches and pains in the jaw and in the rest of the body. This can make it difficult to fall asleep and we all know the impact of insomnia on our lives. The next day you’re sleepy and find it difficult to concentrate at work or school. Pain also takes a toll on your emotions. Chronic pain can lead to depression which can also impact your sleeping patterns.
Collapsed facial appearance
Very often significant gum disease, resulting in tooth loss will cause the jaw and bite to become severely misaligned. This can create any number of problems and anomalies in your appearance, such as an overbite, an extended underbite or even cause sagging in the skin and muscles of your face. Realigning the TMJ to correct these problems is sometimes referred to as a “dental facelift” because of the dramatic results to the face. Because the muscles and skin of the face now have their underlying structure restored, they regain their elasticity, reducing wrinkles in the face and around the eyes.
Imagine a skyscraper that has a few steel girders missing. Or suppose a few of those girders were misaligned. It would very soon lose its shape as well or could collapse altogether! It’s not so different for your face.
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