Lehi CHIROPRACTOR MAY HELP TMJ

Among the areas of the body that Lehi chiropractors are able to help, many people are surprised to learn that the jaw is on the list. It’s easy to associate back pain and neck pain with chiropractic treatment, but people who suffer from TMJ or Temporomandibular Joint Disorder in Lehi can also find relief.

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WHAT IS TMJ?

The temporomandibular (tem-puh-roe-man-DIB-u-lur) joint (TMJ) acts like a sliding hinge, connecting your jawbone to your skull. You have one joint on each side of your jaw. TMJ disorders — a type of temporomandibular disorder or TMD — can cause pain in your jaw joint and in the muscles that control jaw movement.

You can receive in injury to your TMJ in a car accident by impacting it. Most commonly with  airbag deployment! You can also see it with improperly placed seat belts.

Symptoms you may feel if you have a TMJ injury may be a headache, mistaken for teeth pain, ear ache, pain in the neck, muscle fatigue (tired) in jaw area, clicking or popping in joint, hard time opening mouth, pain in jaw when eating, eye pain, ringing in ears.

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CAUSES OF TMJ

TMJ has a myriad of potential causes that your Lehi chiropractors will explore when you book your appointment. Some of the known causes of TMJ include serious jaw trauma or dislocation, physical or emotional stress, or even sitting in a dentist’s chair for long periods of time with your mouth wide open. The emotional stress doesn’t end up causing TMJ on its own, but if you tend to clench your teeth as a result, this may end up causing it. Statistics show that women are four times as likely to suffer from TMJ as men.

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CAN CHIROPRACTIC HELP TMJ?

Once your chiropractor confirms that you do have TMJ, you’ll be given a treatment plan based on the specifics of your situation. Our team at ReFlex Chiropractic wants to get to the cause of your problem so every angle is explored before a thorough plan is created. Usually, a treatment plan for TMJ will include chiropractic adjustments, special exercises, and possibly heat or ice to lessen pain if it is particularly painful.

If you have any of the symptoms of TMJ, schedule a consultation with a chiropractor as soon as possible. It’s also important that you follow any advice or recommendations given during that consultation and subsequent appointments. Every exercise and treatment is designed to remove the underlying cause of the problem and restore your jaw function back to normal.

At ReFlex Chiropractic our team is here to help answer your questions.  Please feel free to contact us today.