Alternative Treatments for Chronic Jaw Pain
- Do you grind your teeth or clench your jaw?
- Do you experience frequent headaches?
- Do you have pain in your jaw, nose, ear or neck?
According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), approximately 5-15% of the U.S. population experience pain associated with Temporomandibular Joint Disorder or TMD. If you answered yes to one of the questions above, you might be one of them.
Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are problems associated with the muscles and joints of the lower jaw where it connects to the skull. When this sensitive joint is irritated, it causes intense pain that radiates to the head, nose and ear regions. Although dentists, chiropractors and medical doctors are familiar with TMD, many physicians fail to properly diagnose it, leaving patients feeling discouraged and without proper treatment.
The lower jaw has rounded ends (condyles) that glide in and out of the joint socket when you talk, chew or yawn. The surfaces of the condyle and the socket of the skull are covered with cartilage and separated by a small disc, which absorbs shock and keeps the movement smooth. The muscles that enable you to open and close your mouth stabilize this joint. When the movement of this joint is compromised, pain and tenderness can occur and radiate into the head, ear and neck regions.
Traditional treatment of TMD includes the use of night guards, splints and other devices fitted by a dentist to reduce pressure on the joint. These options typically only deliver partial relief to patients because they do not correct the root cause of the misalignment of the jaw. TMD is caused by a number of injuries including whiplash, poor posture, emotional stress and new dental procedures. It’s interesting to note that this list of causes has one theme in common – misalignment of the joints of the upper neck.
Instead of focusing only the joint of the jaw, new alternative treatments for TMD look at the bigger picture and examine the biomechanics of the shoulders, neck, skull and jaw to make sure that every muscle and joint is moving properly. After co-managing hundreds of patients with TMD with their family dentists, I have developed a new three-stage approach for care of TMD which offers significant relief for patients, even when other treatments have failed.
The Three-Stage Alternative TMD Treatment:
- Medical Acupuncture for Pain Control
- Postural Correction and Intra-oral Massage to Adjust Alignment
- Muscle Strengthening to Maintain Relief
Medical Acupuncture is used primarily to decrease the pain caused by TMD, which can be life-altering. This ancient Chinese practice also relaxes tight muscles surrounding the jaw and face. Once the pain levels have moderated, we start to address the root cause and apply gentle chiropractic adjustments to the upper spine and massage the muscles of the jaw, neck and shoulders to correct the postural misalignments. The strengthening process can only occur after the alignment of the spine and jaw has been fully corrected. Once all three stages have been successfully completed, patients experience either elimination or significant reduction of their symptoms and are able to maintain their new alignment with occasional “wellness visits” to keep them on track.
There is hope for the chronic pain of TMD. Call our office today at 224-653-8094 to reserve your examination to see how innovative Chiropractic and Medical Acupuncture can help you live a pain-free life.