Do You Suffer From TMJ Disorder?

This page was updated on 04/05/2017

Do you suffer from TMJ in Fairfield? Temporomandibular disorders (also known as TMJ) affect the joint where your skull meets your lower jaw. Common symptoms include jaw clicking, pain, and headaches. These symptoms are a result of the joint being misaligned and/or muscle adhesion in the jaw muscles which can occur from grinding or clenching your teeth, poor posture or an injury.

The most common TMJ syndrome occurs without trauma or injury. It starts when the muscles on one side of the jaw tighten much more than other side. This increases tension and pulls the jaw towards the tight side. This imbalance then worsens as the jaw continues to track towards the tight side. Over time the skull and lower jaw are pulled into a misalignment. This puts excessive pressure on the joint and compresses the disc.Over time degeneration of the joint occurs and the disc wears away, leaving the bones rubbing against and irritating the nerves.

Treatment goes far past just having a bit guard (a very old but common and highly unsuccessful approach). Joint mobilizations may be used in your treatment of TMJ depending on the cause of your jaw disorder. During a joint mobilization, the chiropractor may press on your jaw, skull or upper spine to relieve irritated nerves and muscles ultimately to correct your jaw's range of motion.

Deep tissue massage based therapies and ultrasound modalities may also be incorporated into your treatment plan. This approach is used to breaks up adhesion and scar tissue on the surrounding muscle and ligaments. This is proven to be a very effective method when combined with hands on treatment.

When the TMJ ligaments are over stretched, or torn due to trauma or injury it can pull the disc out of position. This is common in injuries such as whiplash. Various hands on approaches as well as rehabilitative exercises have shown to be the best approach in these instances.

iMed Chiropractic in Fairfield looks even further, beyond just your jaw! Our team looks at your overall lifestyle. Finding a solution to helping you get a good night's rest without clenching and getting a headache. iMed Chiropractic's team approach to wellness will help determine the best course of action for your problem.

If you are in the Fairfield area and suffering from TMJ symptoms, contact our iMed Chiropractic today to schedule your individualized consolation.