Many people go around very frustrated and without any answers to their problems all because there is a jaw connection which is being completely overlooked. Here are some examples I have come across, unexplained headaches, clicking or popping of the jaw, migraines, arthritis, dizziness, ringing or hissing in the ears, ear pain, ear infections, jaw fatigue while chewing or upon awakening from sleep, hip pain, knee pain, lower back pain, menstrual problems, digestive problems such as bloating, abdominal pain, extreme tiredness or heaviness in the head, constipation and lots more. If you have any of these on-going unexplained matters you may indeed have an undiagnosed problem with your jaw. TMJ stands for Temporomandibular joint (Jaw) and it is the largest bilateral joint in the body. Its condition can quickly determine how healthy or balanced your body is.
Causes of jaw dysfunction…
- birth traumas such as the use of suction, forceps etc, shock, severe stress and trauma to the body,
- poor dental work e.g incorrectly fitting bridges, dentures,
- Food intolerances, accidents, whiplash/old injuries, (who didn’t get a good bash to the head as a child)
- also prolonged stress in the body over many years is a biggie. Tension or anger can result in teeth grinding or jaw clenching. You may be in the habit of doing this unknown to yourself either day or night. If you feel you clench your teeth regularly, the next time you feel yourself doing it, stop and ask why, what is going on, how do you feel?
Often the jaw muscles become misaligned or tense or malfunctioning after spending long periods in the dentist chair with your mouth open… Any of these may be signs your jaw muscles need strengthening. This is done through simple stimulation and rebalancing of all the related muscles.
The constant motion of the jaw means it never really gets much of a rest. To help ease tension in the jaw area, make your hand into a fist shape and in a circular motion rub all around the jaw bone and upper cheekbone region. Rebalancing of the jaw with specific techniques is needed in most cases and sometimes nutrition such as Zinc, Magnesium, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and so on as well as getting to the root of stress and tension, treating old injuries etc if relevant are necessary for a healthy proper functioning jaw. Unfortunately the problem must be treated as over time instead of it going away it just gets worse as the body compensates even further.
Thank you, Gertrude ~ great post! It’s true, many people know little about TMJ and knowledge is power. I recently wrote the book ‘Doctor, Why Does My Face Still Ache?’ which is about getting relief from persistent jaw, ear, tooth, and headache pain. If you’re interested and would like to find out more: http://bit.ly/xOlBLq
All the best!
Dr. Tanenbaum