TMJ Disorder

Understanding TMJ Disorders

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders affect the joints that connect your jawbone to your skull — one on each side of your face. These joints, combined with muscles and ligaments, allow you to open and close your mouth, chew, speak, and yawn. TMJ disorders can cause a range of symptoms including jaw pain and tenderness, clicking or popping sounds when opening or closing the mouth, difficulty chewing or opening the mouth wide, facial pain, ear pain or ringing, and headaches. The causes are varied and can include jaw injury, arthritis, teeth grinding (bruxism), stress-related muscle tension, and misalignment of the bite or cervical spine.

How Chiropractic Helps

The connection between TMJ disorders and the cervical spine is well established. The muscles and nerves of the jaw and neck are intimately related, and dysfunction in the upper cervical spine frequently contributes to or perpetuates TMJ symptoms. Chiropractic care addresses this relationship directly by adjusting the upper cervical spine to reduce nerve irritation and muscle tension that affects jaw mechanics. Direct treatment of the TMJ itself — including gentle intraoral and extraoral soft-tissue work — can release the muscle tension and joint restrictions that cause jaw pain and clicking.

The Cervical-Jaw Connection

Many patients with TMJ disorders have tried dental appliances, jaw exercises, and even surgery with only partial success — because the cervical component of their condition was never addressed. Upper cervical misalignment alters the tension in the muscles that control jaw movement, which can destabilize the TMJ and maintain a cycle of dysfunction and pain. Correcting cervical alignment often produces dramatic improvement in TMJ symptoms, sometimes even more than direct jaw treatment alone.

Treatment at A Better Way

At A Better Way Chiropractic, we take a comprehensive approach to TMJ disorders for patients throughout Conroe, Cypress, Memorial City, and Montgomery, TX — evaluating and treating both the cervical spine and the jaw joint. Our treatment combines upper cervical adjustments, TMJ-specific soft-tissue therapy, and home care recommendations to provide lasting relief from jaw pain and dysfunction. New patients can get started with our $47 new patient special. If you have struggled with TMJ symptoms, a chiropractic evaluation may provide the missing piece of the puzzle.