TMJ - The What, the How & the Why
What is it? First, let’s clarify - the term TMJ stands for TemporoMandibular Joint which is the anatomical name for the joint between the temporal bones of your skull and the mandibular bone, aka your jaw. So when people say, “I have TMJ” what they are actually saying is “I have temporomandibular joint”. The correct verbiage is “I have TMJ dysfunction/disorder/pain”. OKAY, now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about what TMJ dysfunction is and how chiropractic can help.
TMJ dysfunction is when the temporomadibular joint is not moving properly. This can be due to misalignment of the joint on one or both sides (usually due to injury), or the result of excessively tight muscles around the joint (hello, clenching). Symptoms of TMJ disorder include jaw pain, muscle tension, clicking, popping, locking, teeth grinding, neck pain, headaches or migraines.
How does chiropractic help? I have been seeing a lot more people with jaw dysfunction in the office lately, and here’s how I address it…
I start by assessing the upper neck, particularly the C1 bone which is the very top bone of your spine, also called the atlas. Why would I start there? Because your skull sits on top of your C1 and if the alignment of your skull on your C1 is off it can impact everything. Your brain relies on nerve signals from your spinal cord for accurate information about what’s happening inside and outside of your body. When the atlas is misaligned it causes your brain to receive altered information from your body and that causes altered information to be sent back out.
At the end of the day TMJ disorder is a maladaptation. It is your body responding to what it is experiencing in a way that isn’t actually serving you. Correct alignment of the C1 allows the brain to receive more coherent nerve signals which helps your body function in a way that is more beneficial to your overall wellbeing.
I then move to the muscles at the base of the skull and around the jaw.
Why the muscles at the base of the skull? Those are your suboccipital muscles and they are small but mighty. They help move your head as well as provide tons of information to the brain about where your body is in space. Your suboccipital muscles and your jaw muscles are connected via nerve supply, fascial connections and functional movement. If your suboccipital muscles are misfiring that can cause your jaw to misbehave.
I also work on the muscles above and below the joint itself (the temporalis & the masseter) . Then things get interesting! The most important muscles to address are called your pterygoid muscles and they are located inside your mouth. These muscles can be quite sensitive when they are tight and releasing them may be pretty uncomfortable but it is a crucial step to relieving jaw pain and tightness.
Then I will check how the jaw is moving and if need be I will deliver a gentle adjustment to realign the joint itself. Sometimes I use my activator and other times I use firm sustained pressure of my palm. There is no quick force or cracking with this move. It is slow and controlled.
I often will do additional cranial work on the surrounding bones of the skull. The bones of the skull do not move very much but they can get torqued and cause tension in the myofascial system. Unwinding this tension helps with a wide variety of things. If you want to learn more about cranial work you can read my post Adjusting the Cranial Bones.
Why does this happen? Above is a step by step process of how I address TMJ dysfunction, but we can’t bypass why it happens in the first place….
Most TMJ dysfunction occurs as a result of clenching. Clenching is typically a sign of stress. When the system is stressed it contracts, tightens and pulls inwards as it moves into a position of protection. This protective position siphons the flow of your life force energy. The real benefit of chiropractic work is not relieving the jaw pain, it is the unwinding of this pattern. It is bringing the body into a state of openness, of decompression, of safety. It is the resurrection of your life force energy.
When we live in a perpetual state of survival our body begins to shut down. Instead of healing the body is focused on making it through the day, instead of creating the body is concerned with conserving, instead of expression the body prioritizes preservation.
To move out of a state of survival we must teach our body’s that it is safe and that it can relax. This process often takes time and self awareness. Chiropractic support this process on a nervous system level and awakens your body’s own power to heal.