TMJ (Jaw Pain)

Temporomandibular Joint dysfunction (TMJ) effects a great deal of people everyday. Typically, it is diagnosed for those who experience pain on either side of the face in front of the ears and may have clicking in the joints of the jaw. This can be an extremely uncomfortable condition because the jaw is used constantly throughout the day for talking and chewing.

At Chiro Cleveland, our philosophy is that muscle balance is the key to having proper function in the body. The TMJ consists of one bone (mandible) with a joint on each side of the bone. If there is more muscle tension on one side of the face compared to the other then this frequently causes pain and stiffness in and around the joints.

Treatment
A great deal of focus is placed on finding the specific muscles that are causing the imbalance between sides of the jaw. We have found that doing deep tissue massage and myofascial release in the muscles of the jaw (Internal Pterigoid, External Pterigoid and Masseter) will allow the jaw to move freely.