TMJ Help Program

The temporomandibular joint is the joint connecting your lower jaw to your skull bone and is responsible for its movement. Misalignment of the skull and the lower jaw results in a crooked bite.

There are various symptoms that can result from misalignment which make up a disorder affecting the joint known as TMJ or TMD. One of the most common complaints associated with TMJ is the dreaded headache or migraine.

TMJ or TMD is best managed by specialists, such as neuromuscular dentists. They are better trained than anyone else to diagnose this condition and handle it. Other symptoms of TMJ include:
- Facial muscle pain
- Headaches
- Aches in the neck, shoulder or back
- Tinnitus or ear ringing.
- Toothaches
- Tingling sensations or numbness all along the arm and down to the hand
- Restriction of jaw mobility
- Clicking sounds when moving the jaw
- Teeth grinding

Migraines may result from the bite problems associated with TMJ because of the strained jaw muscles or joints. This strain puts more stress on just about every muscles in your head and neck whenever any action by them is needed. The jaw itself being kept into position becomes a burden on these muscles.

These perpetually strained muscles will cause a sensation of tightness or tension all over you head and neck and the end result is what is known as a tension headache. Another type of headache may also result from the impairment of blood supply to all the right tissues in the right amount. This causes a further increase in blood pressure to pump blood properly into the deficient areas. This is a reflex mechanism of the body and the resulting headaches is known as a vascular headache.

Clenching your teeth and grinding them isn’t such a good idea, either. It does nothing put place excessive stress on your jaw, teeth and the surrounding muscles.

TMJ/TMD headaches are characteristically severe and rather frequent, which makes them commonly mistaken and diagnosed as migraines.

Consult a neuromuscular dentist if you suspect that you have symptoms of TMJ or TMD so that he may device a proper treatment strategy especially for you.