TMJ

TMJ means Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome. The temporomandidular joint is located at the top of the jaw, near the ear. When the temporomandidular joint is misaligned it can cause symptoms such as headaches, toothaches, burning, tingling sensations in the tongue, mouth or throat, earaches, neck aches or shoulder aches, tenderness and swelling in the sides of the face, clicking or popping noises when opening the jaw, and inability to open the mouth freely.

The most common causes of TMJ are thought to be misalignment of the teeth, emotional stress, bad postural habits, whiplash or physical trauma, misalignment of the spine, or disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

A pilot study was done in which 12 patients were assessed by dentists in private practice as having TMJ Syndrome. These patients were randomly assigned to a chiropractic treatment or a placebo treatment (remote trigger point therapy) group.

Patients in the chiropractic group received weekly chiropractic adjustments for six weeks to correct cervical spine dysfunction. Those in the placebo group received weekly trigger point therapy to muscles. The results showed both groups demonstrated similar positive changes. A subjective, graphical comparison of results suggests that spinal adjustment may have some superiority over the trigger point method.

Anyone experiencing TMJ symptoms should see a dentist or chiropractor for help.