Osteopathy and the TMJ
By Tegan Hailey
The TMJ known as the temporomandibular joint, is the joint that attaches your jaw to the rest of your skull. It is the most used joint in your body, and can be felt moving in front of your ears as you open and close your mouth.
When we get pain in our jaw it is known as a TMJ dysfunction, and can affect one or both sides of the jaw. However you don’t need to experience pain or tenderness to have a TMJ dysfunction. Surprisingly the TMJ can also be the cause of a lot of headaches, dizziness, ear and upper neck pain.
Some of the most common symptoms include…
Clicking or popping as you open and close your mouth
Limited jaw opening, or jaw deviation while opening
An inability to fully clench your jaw
Difficulty chewing, swallowing and drinking
Pain
Common Causes:
TMJ dysfunction is considered a multifaceted musculoskeletal disorder, with common causes including ...
Malocclusion: misalignment or incorrect positioning between teeth when they approach each other as the jaw closes.
Bruxism (grinding) or clenching your teeth
Derangement or displacement of the articular disc in the TMJ
Imbalance of muscles which control the TMJ
Contributing Factors:
Other factors that can contribute to TMJ dysfunctions include ...
Alignment dysfunctions or prolonged mouth opening due to dental or orthodontic treatment
Removal of wisdom teeth
Poor neck posture
Muscle pain
Stress
Whiplash and trauma
Treatment for TMJ dysfunctions: