Turkey Ready TMJ
The temporomandibular joint is easily one of the joints used most often in the human body from day to day. The temporomandibular joint, TMJ, is the joint that involves the meeting of the jaw, or mandible, with the skull. The joint is recruited every time the jaw is opened, closed, protruded, retracted, or moved side to side. Ie. Saying “ah” at the dentist, clenching your teeth during a traffic jam, singing your heart out at karaoke night, eating holiday festive food.
Thanksgiving is right around the corner and the TMJ will be recruited in order to devour mounds of delicious food. Some people would not think twice about what will be on their plate, however some people must make hard decisions knowing that feasting on some food demands too much of the TMJ resulting in dysfunctional pain.
The TMJ articulations involve a disc, synovial fluid, nerve dense tissues, and muscles. When the TMJ is not functioning correctly, pain is often reported due to the high amount of nerve innervation to the area. A high amount of nerve innervation is necessary because it is important to be aware of sensation at the TMJ because it is used so often.
JOINT USED A LOT = NEED TO KNOW WHERE IT IS IN SPACE = LOTS OF NERVE INNERVATION = HIGH SENSITIVITY = INCREASED AWARENESS OF DYSFUNCTION
Discomfort associated with the TMJ can present in many ways. Some symptoms included headaches, neck tension, ear pain, and limited or increased jaw motion.
To decrease discomfort and more importantly determine the reasons of dysfunction, it has become more widely accepted to explore conservative options such as mouth guards, manual muscle work and physiotherapeutic interventions that can be offered through a number of specialists.
Treating a TMJ is not out of the spectrum for chiropractic care. It is actually a highlighted region that some chiropractors have a strong education of. Evaluating the physical motion of the joint, recording a history and pattern of discomfort, and assessing the influential musculature and posture can lead to a solid treatment plan recommendation.
We hope that you can enjoy your holiday treats without TMJ pain. If you are concerned about any issues or wondering if you may be dealing with a TMJ dysfunction, be sure to ask us!