The pain may involve teeth, ears, neck, eyes, forehead, and the whole face. Signs and symptoms may include:. The TMJ symptoms may be episodic and related to the stressful lifestyle. Not all people with the TMJ disorder will experience the same symptoms, nor all of them. TMJ is linked to many other medical conditions; it is more than just a jaw or dental problem. Overall prognosis is good, and severe complications are rare. Still, if they occur, they include chronic face pain or chronic migraines.
When TMJ disorder is associated with other inflammatory diseases like infection, tumors, or arthritis, long-term treatment is necessary. There is no standardized test that will determine the presence of TMJ disorder. We mentioned earlier that the exact causes and symptoms are not always clear, so your family physician will note your symptoms and ask about your health history.
Then the doctor will conduct a physical exam and may order an X-ray imaging , computer tomography CT , or magnetic resonance imaging MRI. They will provide a better view of your TMJ disc and the bony detail of the joints. It will also rule out other problems like sinus or ear infections, different types of headaches, toothaches, and nerve-related facial pain facial neuralgias.
What type of doctor treats TMJ dysfunction? The first doctor you need to see is a primary care provider PCP. TMJ is a complex condition that involves multiple body systems — cardiovascular, immunological, neurological, respiratory, musculoskeletal, and digestive. They contribute to the onset and severity of the symptoms associated with TMJ and also influence the treatment outcomes. Some of them may include medicaments, non-drug therapies, and alternative medicine techniques.
How to relieve TMJ pain? There are some things you can do on your own for pain management. Another option is surgery if none of the abovementioned treatments can help you. It includes arthrocentesis, arthroscopy, and open-joint surgery. Surgeries are a severe type of treatment , so it is essential to talk to your doctor about the potential risks of these procedures.
TMJ acupuncture is a growing jaw pain relief trend in the US. You are probably asking: Will acupuncture help TMJ? Here is the answer, together with some most important facts about TMJ acupuncture points. Those points are called acupuncture points, located along meridians, and contain a high nerve endings density.
Meridians are energy pathways that run throughout the body. When that energy is not in balance, an illness occurs, so TCM seeks to resolve the origin of the problem and restore the balance of the Qi. Some acupuncture points for TMJ are located around the ear and the jaw, while others are located near the elbows, knees, and big toe. It can help relax muscle spasms by stimulating them and thereby reducing the pressure on the joint.
Some most common acupoints include:. ART is a non-invasive soft tissue technique that treats problems with muscles, tendons, connective tissue fascia , ligaments, and nerves. It works by breaking up adhesions, a dense collection of scar tissue that forms when the muscles and fascia are injured.
It combines manipulation and movement , promoting blood flow and faster healing of the injuries. A licensed ART therapist can palpate and treat muscular injuries and nerve entrapments that can result in tingling, numbness, and pain. When the area of scar tissue is located, it is then manipulated to break up the scar tissue and restore the proper blood flow to the area that can heal faster.
When treating stiffness of the TMJ joint, the focus is on restoring the range of motion so the jaw joint can move freely again without pain and stiffness.
Though MTJ pain can come and go, some patients reported its chronic nature — dealing with the pain daily. Perhaps a proper herbal remedy may be precisely what you need.
The most common signs of TMJ include:. The combination of hard bony structures, muscles, and cartilage that are all involved in TMD causes TMJ pain that is hard to pinpoint because it may move around, and come and go. Most people describe the sensation as a dull ache. A doctor or dentist may check for signs of TMJ by observing and manually examining the movement of the jaw joint. Dental X-rays may be used to help determine the cause of jaw pain. CT scan or MRI may be recommended to get a more detailed look at the bones and cartilage.
The primary recommendations for jaw pain and clicking is to rest the jaw as much as possible and eat only soft foods. Physical therapy PT can help strengthen the muscles of the face and encourage people to change habitual behaviors that might be contributing to TMJ.
Wearing a splint or bite plate keeps the mouth and jaw in place and prevents grinding teeth in the night. This combination of PT and splinting is called stomatognathic treatment. If pain is serious enough to require further medical treatment , doctors will usually prescribe either pain relievers, anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants, or some combination of these. Acupuncture and TCM treatment offer a way to reduce inflammation and pain related to TMJ disorders without risky surgical procedures or the adverse side effects sometimes caused by corticosteroids and other medications.
Acupuncture can work to reduce inflammation and pain from many different conditions , including musculoskeletal disorders like TMD. Acupuncture is effective at reducing sensations of pain, both by reducing inflammation in areas from which the pain is originating and by stimulating the release of endorphins and other neurotransmitters that help boost feelings of well-being.
Pathogenic forces like cold, heat, wind, and damp can cause painful obstruction, or blockages of energy and blood in certain areas of the body. People suffering from TMJ do not necessarily only have dental pain or myofascial pain, a clicking jaw, or limited movement. They may also be experiencing a variety of other symptoms that are actually related. A TCM practitioner will look at the whole picture of what each patient is feeling, and treat accordingly.
As a holistic form of medicine, TCM works not only to relieve jaw pain and swelling, but to get to the root of the problem. A comparative study designed to evaluate TCM treatment for TMJ found that patients who received acupuncture treatment reported less pain and muscle tenderness than those that did not.
A clinical study that compared groups of patients who received acupuncture treatment for TMJ pain and limited motion to patients treated with decompression splints. Both groups experienced reduction in pain and increased mobility, and the researchers concluded that acupuncture can be considered beneficial as either an adjunct or alternative treatment.
Acupuncture relieves muscle spasms and decreases pain and swelling, releasing the jaw naturally for the joint to move freely. Additional points help flush toxins, boost immunity, calm the mind and balance the other systems within the body such as digestion and sleep. In working with TMJ patients we also look at the whole picture, including lifestyle and environment changes that may support further healing. Understanding the source of a problem is key to preventing recurrence, and sometimes there is a behavioural or psychological shift that may need to occur for stress and tension to be lifted.
Supportive solutions that complement acupuncture treatments include possible dietary adjustments, wearing a mouth night guard or bite plates to help correct the misalignment.
Stress reduction, relaxation techniques, and jaw stretching exercises also help re-educate and release tension in the muscles surrounding the joint, and even modifying chewing habits are also behavioral approaches that have proved effective in relieving the symptoms. Previous Next.
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