Many Australians feel pain while chewing, suffer from headaches, poor sleep and neck pain. What many people may be surprised to know is that the nagging pain can originate in the jaw joint.
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the joint that connects your jaw (mandible) to your skull. The TMJ acts as a hinge and is one of the most used joints in the human body. Without the TMJ, we would not be able to speak, chew, eat or open and close our jaw. Despite the importance of the TMJ, many people overlook jaw pain and often associate the pain with dental issues or headaches.
There are many possible causes of jaw pain, some more serious than others. In this blog post, we’ll discuss some of the most common causes of jaw pain and TMJ pain, the symptoms of a TMJ disorder and treatment options.
What Causes TMJ Dysfunction And Jaw Pain
Determining the exact cause of a person’s TMJ disorder can be difficult as a number of factors can contribute to jaw pain including genetics, arthritis or a jaw injury.
Some of the most common causes of a TMJ disorder and jaw pain include:
- Arthritis including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis
- Joint erosion
- The joint is damaged or is misaligned
- Existing injury or trauma including a broken or dislocated jaw
- Myofascial pain
- Tight muscles
- Grinding or clenching of the teeth
- Structural jaw problems present at birth
- Occlusal problems such as an overbite or overbite
Excessive gum chewing, poor posture and migraines may also contribute to TMJ pain.
Symptoms Of TMJ And Jaw Problems
The symptoms caused by a damaged jaw or a TMJ disorder will vary between people, which can make diagnosing the condition challenging.
Some of the most common symptoms of jaw and TMJ problems include:
- Pain that worsens when chewing or talking
- Difficulty chewing
- Decreased motion or stiffness
- Clicking or popping in the jaw
- Locked jaw
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Earaches
- Ringing in the ears
- Swelling around the TMJ and face
- Pain in the front of your ear, which may spread to around your face
Jaw problems or TMJ disorders can cause pain in various parts of your body and the intensity of the pain can vary. Depending on your symptoms your jaw pain may increase when talking, chewing or yawning.
Jaw Pain AndChiropractic Care
Poor posture is another key cause that can lead to jaw pain. When you have poor posture, you place additional strain on your joints and muscles, which may misalign your TMJ and result in jaw pain.
A TMJ chiropractor is trained to assess the cause of your jaw pain and may perform adjustments, exercises and stretches to improve the jaw function and reduce pain in their patients.
Chiropractors may also assess a patient’s posture to determine if poor posture is causing jaw pain or any other issues.
More than 20% of all adult Australians live with some form of TMJ dysfunction. Jaw pain can be debilitating and interfere with daily activities, so it’s best to get it checked out as soon as possible.
