Temporomandibular disorder (also called TMD) affects the joint where your skull meets your lower jaw. Common symptoms include jaw clicking, pain, stiffness or a locked jaw. These symptoms can be the result of the joint being misaligned, degeneration of the joint, and/or muscle adhesions in the jaw muscles. TMD can be caused by grinding or clenching your teeth, poor posture, or an injury or trauma to the joint. In addition to pain in the joint, TMD symptoms can include radiating pain in the face, neck or shoulders, headaches, earaches, dizziness and difficulty swallowing.

There are several mechanisms behind TMD, depending on the cause. For instance, chronic teeth clenching or grinding can lead to tightened jaw muscles, so the skull and lower jaw are pulled closer together and misalign. This results in pressure on the joint and compresses the disc. In cases of trauma, the ligaments of the jaw may be stretched or torn, leading to misalignment or disc injury. Degeneration of the joint occurs when the disc wears away, leaving the bones rubbing against each other and possibly irritating the nerves.

For most people, pain or discomfort in the jaw muscles or joints is temporary, often occurs in cycles, and resolves with rest. Some people with TMD pain, however, can develop chronic symptoms. Your doctor of chiropractic can help you establish whether your pain is due to TMD and can provide conservative treatment if needed.

If you are a candidate, adjustments may be used in your treatment of TMD. During an adjustment, the chiropractor may press on your jaw, skull or upper spine to correct misalignment, relieve irritated nerves and increase range of motion. Other helpful modalities may include massage, low level laser therapy, heat or ice, and special exercises. In most cases, your doctor’s first goal is to relieve symptoms, particularly pain. If your doctor of chiropractic feels that you need special appliances or splints, he or she will refer you to a dentist or orthodontist for co-management.

For many patients, manual therapies may be the most effective conservative treatment option. A systemic review of eight published studies indicates that manual therapies had the greatest effect on improving both function and pain associated with temporomandibular joint disorders (Manual Therapy, June 2015). This adds to the growing body of research supporting the efficacy of manual therapies, treatments commonly performed by doctors of chiropractic, for the care of TMD patients.

For more information, contact Wendy at haydenhealth@gmail.com.