WHY DO I HAVE PAIN AND CLICKING IN MY JAWS?

 by Cherie Morgan, NP and Dr. John Cumiskey, Chiropractor 

 

WHY DO I HAVE PAIN AND CLICKING IN MY JAWS? 

TM Dysfunction, also known as Temporomandibular Dysfunction, is a disorder that affects the  joint where the jaw and the temporal bone of the skull meet. 

 This joint allows the jaw to open and close when  speaking, chewing, yawning etc. 

  

There are extremely strong muscles that move the temporomandibular joint such as  the Masseter Muscle and the Temporails  Muscle. On the inner jaw there are the Pterygoid Muscles. 

Temporomandibular Dysfunction (TMD) occurs when the joint is restricted due to problems  within the joint or the surrounding muscles. This can lead to common symptoms such as: 

  • Locking or restrictions of the Temporomandibular joint(s) 

  • Pain to one or both jaws 

  • Aching or a “plugging” sensation of the ears

  • Inability to open mouth wide  

  • Popping/clicking of the joint(s)  

  • Tension Headache  

  • Neck pain  

  • Facial pain  

  • Teeth pain  

 

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CAUSES OF TMD?  

  • Anxiety and tension leading to clenching and grinding of the teeth  

  • Trauma to the TMJ  

  • Arthritis of the joints  

  • Dental entities  

 

TREATMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF TMD  

Botox is serum that is made from botulinum toxin. It temporarily paralyzes muscles by blocking  the nerves that make the muscles move. Although it is mostly known for its cosmetic  applications, it is used for several muscle related problems, including TMD.  

Botox injection into the masseter muscle can relax the muscle allowing the TMJ to move and  help relieve the symptoms.  

 

HOW CAN CHIROPRACTIC CARE HELP?  

Studies have shown that chiropractic manipulation can be effective to relieve the symptoms of  TMD and improve the function of the joint(s).  

 

IS THE TREATMENT PAINFUL?  

There are gentle manipulation techniques that are used to treat TMD while minimizing the  discomfort of the treatment. Muscle therapies such as ultrasound, gentle exercises and muscle  manipulation can be used as well.  

Chiropractic care works on the cause of the problem to restore the function of the TM joints.  Often associated with TMJ are upper neck (cervical spine) and upper back (thoracic spine) joint  dysfunctions. Chiropractic manipulation can restore function to those joints as well.  

 

HOW CAN BOTOX INJECTION AND CHIROPRACTIC CARE WORK TOGETHER?

Botox injection can allow the masseter muscle to relax which can relieve the symptoms of TMD.  The effects of Botox are temporary. However, while the muscles are relaxed, chiropractic care  can help restore the function of the TMJ which can lead to longer lasting reduction in TMD  symptoms.  

It is important to remember that there is no cure for TMJ. It is an entity that must be managed.  Management can include what has just been mentioned, plus home management as well. 

 

HOW DO I KNOW WHAT MANAGEMENT TO USE FOR MY JAW PAIN? 

The first step would to be to have the jaw pain evaluated by Dr. Cumiskey. You then may be  referred to Cherie Morgan, NP to see if you are a candidate for Botox injections. If you have  been diagnosed with TMD by a dentist or other health care practitioner, we can still evaluate you  for chiropractic care and Botox injection.  

 

Journal of Manipulation and Physiological Therapeutics  

Chiropractic treatment of temporomandibular disorders using the activator adjusting instrument: a prospective case  series. Author links open overlay panel James W DeVocht DC, PhD a, Cynthia R Long PhD b, Deborah  L Zeitler DDS c, Walter Schaeffer DC d 

Journal of Chiropractic Medicine  

Volume 14, Issue 4, December 2015, Pages 279-284  

Chiropractic Treatment of Temporomandibular Dysfunction: A Retrospective Case Series  Author links open overlay panel  

Steven Pavia DC a, Rebecca Fischer DC b, Richard Roy DC, PhD  

Life (Basel). 2023 Feb; 13(2): 345.  

Published online 2023 Jan 28. doi: 10.3390/life13020345 Preliminary Findings of the Efficacy of Botulinum Toxin in  Temporomandibular Disorders: Uncontrolled Pilot Study  

José A. Blanco-Rueda, Conceptualization, Investigation,1 Antonio López-Valverde, Methodology, Writing –  original draft, Writing – review & editing, Supervision,2,* Antonio Márquez-Vera, Validation,1 Roberto Méndez Sánchez, Formal analysis,3 Eva López-García, Formal analysis,4 and Nansi López 

Valverde, Conceptualization, Validation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing5Zuzanna Nowak, Academic Editor and Aleksandra Nitecka-Buchta, Academic Editor

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