If You Suffer from Chronic Jaw Pain, Consider Seeing Your Chiropractor
Posted on: 2 August 2016
Do you often wake up with a stiff jaw? Maybe you have a lot of pain and soreness in your TMJ, or the spot where your jaw joins your skull near your ear. Pain relievers and massaging your jaw might only do so much when it comes to managing your pain. A better approach is to delve deeper into what is actually causing the pain and then take steps to fix it. This is something your chiropractor can help you with.
What are the causes of jaw pain?
Jaw pain, and especially pain in the TMJ, is often caused by misalignment of this joint. One bone may not be sitting properly in relation to the other, and this can cause excess strain on the ligaments and tendons in the area whenever you chew or talk.
Sometimes, TMJ pain is actually caused by misalignments of the cervical spine. These are the vertebrae in your neck. If one or more of them are out of place, they may be pulling on the muscles in your neck and jaw. This pulling puts excess pressure on your jaw bones, contributing to your discomfort.
How will your chiropractor address jaw pain?
Your chiropractor can adjust your TMJ to ensure it is aligned properly. He or she will do this by grasping your jaw while holding your head steady with the other hand and then gently shifting one bone in relation to the other. You may hear a snap or pop when the joint moves, but you should not feel pain. The vertebrae in your neck will also be adjusted. As you lie face down on a table, your chiropractor will use his or her fingers to press on specific points alone you spine, moving your vertebrae back into place.
In addition to adjusting your joints, your chiropractor may also recommend treatments like cold therapy and certain stretches. These measures will help alleviate inflammation in the tissues surrounding your jaw, which should reduce the pulling on your jaw bone itself and help keep the adjusted vertebrae in their proper places.
Note that in most cases, you'll need more than one adjustment in order to get rid of jaw pain completely. Lifestyle habits, such as sleeping in a strange position or staring at a computer screen all day, can push your vertebrae and jaw bones back out of alignment. Your chiropractor will need to periodically put the vertebrae back in place to keep symptoms at bay.
Make an appointment with a professional such as Olson Chiropractic Centers to get started with a chiropractor.
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