TMJ No More (tm)
Proven Holistic System
free report
A unique easy to follow 3 step plan to curing TMJ Pain & Proven daily exercises and tested holistic techniques.
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Table of Contents
Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 9
What This Book Is All About ........................................................................................ 9
What Are The Temporomandibular Joints? ................................................... 25
The Most Common Symptoms of TMJ Disorder .......................................... 35
Check Your Symptoms with This Checklist ................................................ 39
Checking Your Health History for Clues ...................................................... 42
Checking Pain Patterns for Additional Clues ............................................. 48
The Three-Step Holistic Treatment to Curing TMJ .......................................... 51
Step One: Improve Jaw Function with Head, Neck, Mouth, Tongue & Chin Exercises ............................................................................................................ 51
Stretching the Jaw ................................................................................................. 52
Increasing the Jaw Opening .............................................................................. 53
Rhythmic Jaw Stabilization ............................................................................... 55
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Controlled TMJ Rotation ..................................................................................... 57
Massaging the Jaw ................................................................................................. 59
Chewing ..................................................................................................................... 60
The Yawn .................................................................................................................. 61
Reading Out Loud .................................................................................................. 63
Strengthening the Jaw ......................................................................................... 64
Surprise! .................................................................................................................... 66
Head and Neck Exercises ................................................................................... 67
The Head/Neck Stretch ...................................................................................... 68
Shoulder Posture ................................................................................................... 69
Head Flex................................................................................................................... 70
Neck Stretching ...................................................................................................... 71
Axial Extension of the Neck ............................................................................... 74
Mouth, Tongue and Chin Exercises ................................................................ 75
Using the Mouth and Nose to Breath ............................................................ 75
The Tongue Roll ..................................................................................................... 76
Muscle Expanders of the Mouth ...................................................................... 78
Tongue Stretches ................................................................................................... 79
Strengthening the Tongue ................................................................................. 81
Reading Out Loud.....................................
Gargling ..................................................................................................................... 82
The Chin Drop ......................................................................................................... 83
Step Two ........................................................................................................................ 85
Using Diet, Exercise and Vitamin/ Mineral Supplementation to Cure TMJ .................................................................................................................................. 85
A. Vitamin and Mineral Therapy ......................................................................... 85
Must-Have Vitamins and Minerals for Battling TMJ ............................... 91
B. Evaluating Your Diet ........................................................................................... 97
What Are You Eating? .......................................................................................... 97
Category One: Bread, Cereal, Rice and Pasta ......................................... 99
Category Two: Fruits ........................................................................................ 99
Category Three: Vegetables ............................................................................. 99
Category Four: Milk, Yogurt & Cheese ...................................................100
Category Five: Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs and Nuts .....100
Category Six:
Fats and Sweets ................................................................ 101
Must-Eat Foods for Healthy Temporomandibular Joints .................. 102
What Not To Eat When You Have TMJ or Teeth Grinding ................. 104
Practical Ways to Eat Better and Improve Your Nutrition ............... 105
Things to Consider … ........................................................................................ 108
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Quick Fixes: Simple Meal Ideas to Get You Started .............................. 108
C. Daily Body and Relaxation Exercises Used to Relieve TMJ Pain Keeping Your Muscles in Top Tone ................................................................ 111
Yoga to the Rescue ............................................................................................. 112
Posture Perfect Results .................................................................................... 114
Body Exercises for Relieving TMJ Pain .......................................................... 116
Exercise # 1: The Mountain Pose................................................................ 116
Exercise # 2: The Shoulder Roll .................................................................. 119
Exercise # 3: The Upper Back Stretch ...................................................... 119
Exercise # 4: Arm Circles/Stretch .............................................................. 120
Exercise # 5: Head and Neck Circles ......................................................... 121
Exercise # 6: Pectoral and Pelvic Stretch .................................................122
Exercise # 7: Spine Roll ...................................................................................124
Exercise # 8: The Cat Stretch .........................................................................125
Exercise # 9: The Hamstring Stretch .........................................................126
Exercise # 10: The Doorway Stretch ..........................................................128
Exercise # 11: Stretching the Back .............................................................129
Step Three .................................................................................................................. 130
Eliminating Harmful Habits & Identifying/Treating Stressors and Referred Pain from Those Trigger Points .................................................... 130
Getting Rid of Those Harmful Habits ..........................................................130
Postural Habits .....................................................................................................131
Standing ...................................................................................................................133
Lifting .......................................................................................................................134
Walking ....................................................................................................................136
Sitting .......................................................................................................................137
The Phone Position .............................................................................................138
The Chair Position (asleep) .............................................................................139
The Couch ...............................................................................................................140
The Bed Prop .........................................................................................................141
Driving .....................................................................................................................141
Sitting Without Any Support ..........................................................................142
Working at a Desk ...............................................................................................143
Sleeping ...................................................................................................................145
Relaxing After a Strenuous Activity .............................................................146
Oral Habits to Break ...........................................................................................146
Muscular Habits ...................................................................................................148
Bad Nutritional Habits ......................................................................................149
Breaking Those Bad Habits ............................................................................ 150
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Identifying and Eliminating the Stressors in Your Life........................... 153
So What Is Stress Anyway? ............................................................................ 154
How Can Stress Really Affect Me? ............................................................... 156
Did You Know? .................................................................................................... 157
What Can I Do To Better Cope With Stress? ............................................ 158
Chapter Three: TMJ and Related Disorders .................................................... 169
Whiplash .................................................................................................................... 169
Common Myths about Whiplash .................................................................. 172
The Role Splints May Be Playing in Your TMJ ........................................ 174
What Are Splints? ................................................................................................... 175
Who’s a Good Candidate for a Splint? ........................................................ 175
Fibromyalgia and TMJ Disorders ..................................................................... 178
What is Fibromyalgia? ...................................................................................... 178
What Causes Fibromyalgia? ........................................................................... 179
Diagnosing Fibromyalgia Disorder ............................................................. 180
The Differences (and Similarities) Between TMJ and Fibromyalgia
............................................................... ............................................................... .....181
Chapter Four: Therapies to Consider in Treating Your TMJ ................ 184
Physical Therapy .................................................................................................... 184
Myofascial Release ................................................................................................. 185
Myotherapy ............................................................................................................... 186
Chiropractics ............................................................................................................ 187
Gentle Yoga ................................................................................................................ 187
Biofeedback ............................................................................................................... 188
Podiatry ...................................................................................................................... 188
Appendix I: Glossary ............................................................................................... 190
Appendix II: Recommended Links .................................................................... 192
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Introduction:
What This Book Is All
About
My journey with TMJ began innocently enough: with a few headaches.
But, before I tell you about my life with this disorder, let me explain why I call it a journey. Living with TMJ isn’t like living with other diseases. I know that it won’t kill me, but it sure has played havoc with my life –
and my happiness.
Living in chronic pain is never easy. It can be even more difficult when doctor after doctor either doesn’t take your symptoms seriously (after all, it’s just a few headaches or a little jaw pain – yea, right!), or they offer treatment options that simply don’t work.
The simple fact is, when you have TMJ, you suffer with chronic pain.
Sure, it may seem innocent enough at first (as in my case), but before Page 9
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long you can’t eat … you can’t sleep … and the pain and discomfort begins to eat away all of the joy from your life. You retreat into your own little world of constant discomfort as the people and things in your life take a backseat to finding something – anything – to relieve your suffering.
If you’ve ever had an abscessed tooth you know the kind of pain I’m talking about. Think about what it would be like if that pain never completely went away – now you know what a TMJ patient feels like.
Maybe you know what I’m talking about firsthand. Or maybe you’re trying to understand (and help) someone you care about through their own TMJ journey. Well, this book is here to help! But, back to my journey….
My Story …
I was living life large. My career was headed toward the fast track; my love life was in full swing; and I had just purchased my first house. Life was hectic, and I loved it! Then I started to experience headaches a few Page 10
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times a week. More annoying than debilitating, that soon changed as those simple “stress headaches” turned much, much worse.
Before I knew it I was experiencing eye pain in addition to a constant throbbing in my head; pressure behind my eyes and even some blurring.
Scared I headed to my doctor’s office. After a few tests he confirmed that I suffered from cluster headaches, verging on migraines. Relieved it wasn’t anything more serious, I began treating my symptoms.
Then came a new set of symptoms: problems swallowing; clogged and stuffy ears; a sore neck and a backache, pain in my cheek muscles and shoulders, clenching, migraines and severe teeth grinding at night (which were so strong I broke several teeth during the years). A few more trips to the doctor and a few more tests, but still no diagnosis. I was sick and getting sicker.
It wasn’t until a routine visit to my dentist where I told him about my recent medical problems, in addition to an annoying clicking and soreness in my jaw, that he suggested that I be tested for TMJ Syndrome.
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Since nothing else had panned out I agreed, and within a week was sitting in a specialist’s office with a firm TMJ diagnosis in hand.
Thankful to finally know what was causing my symptoms – and my increasing pain – I felt sure that relief would soon be on its way. It wasn’t.
After a couple of months, I went to see a doctor (who was also a chiropractor) , and described the unbearable situation I was in, he had recommended several prescription medications and muscle relaxers.
Needless to say. It didn't help at all.
I traveled from doctor’s office to doctor’s office looking for some relief –
any relief! The pain was growing worse – and so did the night bruxism–
and I needed help!
My life was no longer my own. I was short tempered with my family, my health was suffering (I sleep normally); and I was growing more and more depressed. I was reaching my breaking point and I knew it.
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Something had to be done and it had to be done quickly or I was going to lose my mind. It was time to take action!
I took a few weeks off of work. I switched several doctors and complained about the stabbing pain in my ears and behind the eyes, the constant migraines, the locked jaw in the morning, the teeth grinding and other symptoms I was experiencing.
My new specialist I visited suggested surgery. Unbelievable I thought, only to later find out that in the vast majority of cases, surgeries are completely unnecessary and can often lead to irreversible results.
I wasn’t convinced that was the most prudent option, so I began doing my own research into the disorder and discovered a lot of different (and less invasive) ways to treat my TMJ. I’d like to say that I found the perfect cure right away and was symptom free. In truth it took over 12
years to figure out what treatment methods would work best in my situation. Of course I didn’t have the benefits of having someone explain all of my options to me like you do. I had to figure it all out on my own.
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Deep down, I felt there must have been another option, a healthier alternative.
I stopped taking the prescription medications and muscle relaxers. I was determined to find a natural solution to my problem despite of what my doctors had recommended.
I became obsessed with the subjects of holistic health and nutrition. I wanted to know everything there was to know about how to cure TMJ
and prevent it permanently - I've been absolutely consumed by this quest. So I started studying - and hard! I bought every book on facial and jaw pain, teeth grinding, nerve damage, sinus issues, mouth and muscle therapies, oriental medicine, detoxing, dieting, and nutrition that I could get my hands on.
I spent hours at the library swallowing stacks of books, journals and magazines about TMJ, bruxism, and nutrition and reading every word. I have literally read hundreds of medicine books from cover to cover. My Page 14
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library quickly grew to over 327 health and nutrition books and I had read every word almost to the point of memorizing them.
But I didn't just read. I interviewed countless of other TMJ sufferers and endlessly picked the brains of every doctor, chiropractor, herbalist, homeopath and naturopath...kind enough to lend me minutes of their time and fragments of their expertise and knowledge only to find a solid solution to my TMJ.
Book knowledge and interviews are one thing, but it's not the same as knowledge from actual experience. Scientific facts, figures and theories weren't enough.
I tried other types of prescription drugs and took muscle relaxers, vitamins and oriental medicinal herbs on a daily basis with high hopes for a change. I bought numerous "relaxation" CDs and have done plenty of exercise therapies, but to no avail.
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I have also tried every TMJ treatment known to science and natural health with conviction, desire and hope that it will make a difference and that it will finally eliminate my TMJ and bring me my life back.
Over the years I have spent a small fortune trying every type of product and treatment you can think of. I have tried different mouth guards and splints, herbal remedies, detox diets, vitamin therapy, aromatherapy, reflexology, Chinese medicine, vegetarianism, magnetic therapy and whatnot.
While I did find some minor relief, it was always temporary and the painful TMJ symptoms and teeth grinding came back with a vengeance and sometimes got to be even worse than before the treatments. I just could not sleep. I was stressed, angry and depressed all the time. The extreme sleep deprivation along with the immense stress I was experiencing took their toll and I became very depressed.
Years went by slowly and painfully as my TMJ condition became worse than ever. I visited my doctor and he apologized in a very formal and polite manner and said he was sorry but there was nothing he could do.
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Out of sheer desperation I bought additional alternative medicine books on TMJ and was amazed to find out that most if not all offered partial dietary advice along with exercises and special herbal supplements. These approaches don't work either! I know because I tried them all and I still suffered from severe TMJ.
Not the kind of person who readily gives up, I decided enough was enough. If the dozen or so doctors that I had seen couldn’t offer any help, I would find it on my own. Maybe it was frustration, or maybe it was a sense of self preservation that drove me forward on my quest to treat my own TMJ, but I was determined to find a cure for myself and others like me - and guess what -- I did!
Sure, it took months of reading, studying and experimenting, but I finally found the right combination of treatments that have since eliminated my TMJ and reclaimed my life and you can too!
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After more than 12 years of diligent work and in-depth research on a daily basis, after experiencing several eureka moments and after a long process of trial and error and dozens of interviews and self experiments, I applied my years of training to finally uncover the solution to TMJ.
From all the truths and evidence, misconceptions and lies. .the TMJ
puzzle was finally solved. It took me more than a year to polish and refine my discovery and in the end I applied it myself with great hopes and passion and to my sheer amazement - after a few weeks of following it, my TMJ and teeth grinding completely DISAPPEARED!
It took me a few years with a lot of research to get to where I am today, to know exactly what works and what doesn't. Yes, after desperate trial and error, countless of useless treatments, disappointments and agony, a simple holistic system opened the door to my new and much brighter TMJ free life. I was also excited to see that my TMJ and other related symptoms (such as the minor hearing loss I had) had completely diminished. After years of suffering I was finally free from TMJ!
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That’s why I’ve written this book. To help every TMJ patient out there shorten their journey toward recovery by giving them the information they need to find the right treatment - without delay!
How This Book Is Organized
This book begins by offering a brief introduction into TMJ to help you better understand what it is and what causes it. Some of the things covered in Part One include:
• an explanation of the Temporomandibular Joints
• an overview of the fascia and myofascial pain
• the causes of TMJ
• the most common symptoms of the disorder
• the diagnostic procedures for TMJ
Part Two offers some real help by offering a three-step holistic approach to curing TMJ by:
• outlining how to improve jaw functioning with a variety of head, neck, mouth, tongue and chin exercises
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• the importance of proper diet
• an overview of specific mineral/vitamin supplementation designed to help ease TMJ symptoms (and pain!).
• explaining how to identify and treat harmful habits and stressors that could be triggering your TMJ
In Part Three you’ll learn how other related disorders could be linked to your TMJ including whiplash, splints and fibromyalgia.
Part Four will discuss a variety of therapies to consider.
Of course, no comprehensive guide would be complete without a detailed glossary of all of those hard-to-read and understand medical terms, not to mention a list of solid resources and recommended website links.
Now, I’m no doctor, and I don’t pretend to be, but I do know a few things about TMJ and the havoc it can play in your life. I’ve suffered with the same pain and discomfort as you have, and I’ve managed to find a way Page 20
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out of the hell TMJ can put its sufferers through. My goal with this book is to help others like me find relief. The path isn’t the same for everyone.
We’re all different and so is our TMJ, but I do know this: the more we learn about TMJ and the options available for its treatment, the better chance we all have of breaking free from TMJ pain once and for all.
Ready to learn more? Great! Let’s get started …
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Chapter One:
Understanding TMJ
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (better known as TMJ) affects an outstanding 60 million people in the U.S. alone! That’s nearly 20% of the entire population. With more and more people being diagnosed every year, it’s important for those who suffer with TMJ (or think they do), to learn as much as they can about Temporomandibular Joints and how they work in order to better understand what’s causing their pain -
and how to get rid of it.
Amy’s Story…
Understanding TMJ isn’t always easy, especially if, like Amy, you didn’t know anyone who had it before you began to experience your own problems with the disorder.
Amy’s story is like so many others I hear. She was active and healthy.
Work was going well. Her love life was fantastic - as a matter of fact she Page 22
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was planning a spectacular wedding! Sure, she was stressed and began to have headaches a lot, but hey, doesn’t everyone?
Then she was in a rear-end collision on her way home from work one rainy evening. She wasn’t hurt (or so she thought), so she never saw a doctor.
A few weeks later, Amy started noticing that her jaw was a bit sore in the mornings when she first woke up and before long she kept experiencing this annoying clicking and her teeth weren’t aligning correctly. Fearing that all of the orthodontic work she had done as a teenager was reversing itself, she made an appointment with her dentist. It didn’t take him long to suspect TMJ.
Feeling unqualified to treat Amy’s condition he referred her to a specialist who had scary news: surgery was needed to correct the problem or else she risked losing complete function of her jaw. Scared and confused, Amy decided to do a little research before agreeing to such a drastic treatment plan. Thank goodness she did!
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It wasn’t long before Amy and I found each other through some work I was doing in the TMJ community and we discussed some promising new advancements in the natural healing of TMJ. Like I had before her, Amy decided to wait on the surgery a little while and try another approach first. To start she headed back to her dentist who fitted her with a splint for her lower teeth to help her break her nasty nighttime grinding and clenching habit. Next, she began a series of targeted exercises to help strengthen the muscles in her jaw and realign it. Finally, Amy began looking into ways to ease her stress and give her body the nutrients it needed to stay in tip-top working order. Today, Amy is a pain free TMJ
survivor - without the need for invasive surgery.
Sure, sometimes she trips up and needs a refresher course in stress control and proper jaw maintenance, but generally speaking she remains symptom free.
What was Amy’s secret? Well, we’re going to share them with you now.
In the following pages you’ll learn all of the things Amy learned about how to treat - and cure - her TMJ so you can to. But first, let’s learn a bit more about the Temporomandibular Joints and how they work…
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What Are The Temporomandibular
Joints?
Hold your fingers on the side of your face in front of your ears. Now, open and close your mouth. You should be able to feel a boney hinge on each side. This is called the Temporomandibular Joint and it helps your jaw go up and down with ease.
More than a simple “hinge” the TM Joint is made up of more muscle groups than any other joint in the body. But that’s not all. It also uses bone, ligaments, cartilage and fascia, to connect the lower jaw (called the mandible) to the skull. Without the complex makeup and interaction of this joint, you would be unable to open and close your mouth; speak, chew or even swallow properly - if at all!
As you can well imagine, even the simplest disruption of the TM Joint or any of its connective tissues, blood vessels, muscles, cartilage or more Page 25
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can have an adverse effect on it, causing anything from mild to severe pain.
Making your jaw move correctly is an intricate process. Every time your jaw opens (even a little bit), the condyles (those rounded ends found at the top of each mandible), glide forward, slowly returning to their original spot when it recloses. In order for this to be a smooth movement, a soft disc lies between the condyle and the upper jaw to act as a type of shock absorber for the mouth and jaw.
With so many different muscles making the TM Joint work, its no wonder problems can occur so easily. Like any muscle in the body, if it is held in the wrong position for too long, it can cause tension induced spasms of the joint and surrounding muscle tissues.
While this wouldn’t be a problem in other parts of the body, which can easily be rested, there is no way to stop using your jaw, which leaves the joint unable to heal.
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What Is TMJ?
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ) is categorized three ways:
• By Myofascial Pain. The most common of TMJ pain associated with discomfort in the jaw muscles, neck and sometimes even shoulders.
• By Internal Injury. Any type of derangement of the joint (dislocation or injury) can cause damage to the jaw, disc or condyle.
• By Degenerative Joint Disease. Osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis of the jaw can also cause TMJ.
Whenever the Temporomandibular Joint is injured, or comprised in any way, it causes a chain reaction to the surrounding tissues, which can cause pain. Most people find their TMJ caused by more than one problem. For instance, they may suffer with Myofascial Pain (the most common type of TMJ discomfort), caused by trauma or injury to Page 27
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the jaw. Sometimes another, totally seemingly unrelated medical condition can be the cause, as we’ll discuss later. But first let’s talk about the pain most TMJ sufferers’ experience - myofascial pain.
What is Fascia?
Fascia is a connective tissue that joins every part of your body together with every other part. Woven in an intricate web, crisscrossing your entire body, fascia surrounds every organ, tissue and muscle in your entire body, including your brain. It helps to stabilize your body; helps you move and absorb the shock given to your tissues and organs from normal everyday activities.
When a part of your fascia malfunctions, is injured or inflames, it can cause widespread problems. Injure the fascia in your back and yes, your head can hurt. Likewise, experience inflammation of the fascia in your leg, and believe it or not your jaw and mouth can hurt. This can be very important when diagnosing any disorder - including TMJ
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- since the ultimate cause of your jaw pain may have little to do with your mouth or head.
What Is Myofascial Pain?
Fascia around the muscle is called myofascial. When the fascia continually wraps itself around muscle fibers it eventually becomes a tendon, which ultimately becomes part of the bone.
When the fascia system is disrupted or injured, it begins to affect the muscles and cause some serious pain. This is called myofascial pain.
Since myofascial pain can occur anywhere in the body, thus causing TMJ discomfort, no body part should be overlooked when trying to discover the source of your TMJ symptoms.
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What Causes TMJ
No one knows for certain what causes TMJ Disorders, but one thing is certain: there are some standard contributing factors that have been linked to TMJ and the pain it causes. These conditions and behaviors have been separated into the following groups by TMJ advocates and researchers:
Dental Issues
The most common dental cause of TMJ is called Malocclusion, which simply means that your teeth no longer fit together in the way in which they were designed and therefore simply can’t close down the way they should. This poor bite can be due to a lot of things including:
• ill-fitting dentures
• previous dental surgery
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• tooth removal
• the advent of pre-molars
• missing teeth
• a lack of posterior Prop
• wisdom teeth eruption
Trauma
According to the American Dental Association, anywhere between 40
and 99% of all TMJ sufferers can link the onset of their TMJ
symptoms to some sort of trauma or injury. Anything from a blow to the jaw or mouth to whiplash can cause TMJ symptoms. It is especially prevalent in people who have been in car accidents where the airbags have deployed. Some of the most common injuries linked to TMJ include:
• whiplash and traction appliances used in whiplash injuries
• even minor blows to the head, face or jaw
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• and in some cases, ill fitting braces
Habits
There are a lot of habits that can cause damage to the TM Joint and surrounding tissues. Bruxism is the most common, including a constant clenching or biting of the teeth. Since clenching the teeth (and jaw) can put undue pressure on the TMJ area, ligament and cartilage damage can occur. Damaged cartilage can then lead to an actual dislocation of the joint’s disc which can create a locked or popping jaw. While bruxism usually happens when we’re sleeping, most dentists can tell if you are grinding or clenching your teeth at night with a simple exam. If you often notice sore muscles in your face and mouth upon awakening, consider this an option.
Other habits that may be causing your TMJ include:
• bad posture caused by slouching; habitually holding the phone on your shoulder; or sleeping on your stomach
• chronic gum chewing
• pencil chewing
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• fingernail biting
• a poor diet
• any activities that put strain on the neck or back including weight lifting
Social Situations
Stress can be a leading cause of TMJ in some people. Since it may make you tighten the muscles around the neck and shoulder, it can affect the TM Joint by putting abnormal pressure on it. If left untreated long enough, those muscles can eventually shorten, creating a misalignment in the area. This can be a real pain inducer.
Some of the adverse social situations that can create the type of stress we’re talking about includes:
• a bad home life
• problems at work
• financial worries
• health concerns
• legal woes
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• any type of serious life change (divorce, death, marriage, a new baby)
Emotions
It has been reported that any type of serious physical or mental upheaval can have lasting effects on your whole body - including your Temporomandibular Joint. This can include:
• depression
• severe anxiety
• fear
• anger
• frustration
• unrelieved stress
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The Most Common Symptoms of TMJ
Disorder
One of the most common misconceptions about TMJ is that it is jaw pain. That’s not a cause - it’s a symptom. Of course, it’s not the only symptom. If you suffer from TMJ, the odds are you feel a lot of discomfort in a lot of parts of your body including the head, face, eyes, mouth, ears, throat, neck and even the back. While we’ll discuss each of these areas in a minute (and the symptoms you may be experiencing in and around them), let’s first take a look at one of the most well-known TMJ symptom: clicking.
Clicking
Most TMJ patients notice a clicking or grating sounds when they open or close their mouth. The sound may or may not be
accompanied with pain. So what’s causing all the noise? When the condyle is moved behind the disc (which it shouldn’t), it forces it to push forward, which in turn causes the condyle to override the Page 35
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thickness of the disc, which causes that clicking sound as the jaw is opened. If a clicking is heard when the mouth is closing, it means that the condyle is slipping back behind the disc once again.
Symptoms Around the Jaw
TMJ can feature a lot of different symptoms, especially around the jaw and facial areas. Here are just a few that you may experience:
Mouth and Face Problems:
• a clicking, grating or popping of the jaw
• pain in the muscles of the cheeks
• teeth clenching during sleep
• jaw pain
• uncontrollable tongue movements
• an inability to open the mouth (a type of locking)
• jaw joint pain/problems
• pain in the teeth
• intense salivation
• voice fluctuations
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• frequent coughing or constant clearing of the throat
• a tired or sore jaw upon awakening in the morning
• a twitching or uncontrolled movement of the jaw
• a jaw that unconsciously moves to one side
• sensitive teeth
Head Problems
• migraine headaches
• forehead pain
• sinus trouble
• hair or scalp sensitivity and/or pain
• difficulty swallowing
• throat tightening
• chronic sore throat (void of infection)
• pain in the tongue
• laryngitis
• muscle spasms around the head and neck
• ringing in the ears
• hearing difficulties
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• clogged or stuffy ears
• balance problems (vertigo, dizziness, and disequilibrium)
• sinus pain
• eye tearing
• head/sinus pressure
• bloodshot eyes
• blurred vision
• light sensitivity
Problems Throughout the Body
The face and head isn’t the only place you can feel TMJ pain. Here are some other places that the pain can radiate to:
• neck pain
• tired or sore neck
• shoulder aches and soreness
• stiff neck
• upper or lower back pain
• tingling or numbness in your arm or finger
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• overall body stiffness (but especially in the back, neck and shoulders)
• dizziness
• chronic coldness in the hands and feet
• arthritis
• reduced range of motion in the neck and shoulders
Check Your Symptoms with This Checklist
When you first glance at the long list of TMJ symptoms, it may seem as if every ache and pain you have can be linked back to the disorder. While it is true that many sufferers experience a myriad of painful symptoms, a proper diagnosis is necessary in order to alleviate making a deadly mistake. To help you (and your doctor) better determine if TMJ may be the cause of your pain (and other symptoms), go over this symptom checklist and mark off any symptoms that you regularly experience. If you discover that you do indeed have several from each category, you may want to see a TMJ specialist for a formal diagnosis - and treatment.
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Area A : The Mouth and Jaw Area
clicking, grating or jaw popping
pain in or around the jaw
pain or difficulty opening your mouth
chronic teeth clenching or grinding (especially at night) a locked or snapping jaw
tooth pain
a tired or sore jaw (especially upon waking in the morning) a deviated jaw (one that moves to one side when opening or closing the mouth)
Area B: The Head
a difficulty swallowing
head and/or neck spasms
trouble hearing
chronic earaches (no infection)
chronic headaches
sinus pain
pressure behind the eyes
eye tearing
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Area C: The Body
spasms in the shoulders, neck, back, arms or even legs
arm/finger numbness or tingling
dizziness
insomnia
backaches
fatigue
depression
anxiousness
arthritis
Diagnosing Coexisting Conditions
Once you know that you have a TMJ Disorder, it’s important to figure out if any other coexisting problems exist. In 1997 Dr. Edward Wright et al designed the following questionnaire to determine if TMJ patients could also be suffering from some type of rheumatic disorder. If you answer yes to any of the following questions, be sure to consult a rheumatologist immediately:
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1. Do you experience muscle tenderness anywhere but your head and neck regions?
2. Do you have joint tenderness anywhere but your jaw?
3. Do you experience any type of morning stiffness (other than in your jaw)?
4. Do you experience muscle tenderness more than 50% of the time (other than in your neck or head)?
5. Do you experience joint tenderness more than half the time other than in your jaw joint?
6. In the past year, have you experienced recurring bouts of joint swelling other than in the TM Joint?
Checking Your Health History for Clues
There are a number of factors that can cause your TMJ. That’s why it is so important to take a close look at your health history for important clues as to what may have triggered your TMJ in order to properly treat it.
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The three main factors that doctors believe can make you more susceptible to getting a TMJ Disorder are:
• Predisposing Factors -- an early illness that may weaken the immune system or something as simple as a chronic allergy can make you more likely to get a TMJ Disorder. Some of the most common predisposing factors associated with TMJ include:
◼ any abnormality of the body
◼ an accident in your childhood
◼ any type of jaw abnormality
◼ thumb sucking
◼ a blow to the head
◼ allergies
◼ a severe illness
• Precipitating Factors -- a sudden or unusual event like an accident involving the mouth, jaw or head, or even some
medications can sometimes cause TMJ. Some precipitating factors that can cause TMJ include:
◼ a blow to the head (even a mild one)
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◼ an automobile accident (especially if the air bag deploys)
◼ surgery of the mouth, head, neck, or face
◼ certain medications
◼ opening the mouth unusually wide (as in the case of a big yawn)
• Perpetuating Factors -- bad habits such as gum chewing, fingernail biting and thumb sucking can all prolong a TMJ
problem. The most common perpetual factors that can contribute to TMJ symptoms include:
◼ gum chewing
◼ habitual jaw clenching
◼ teeth grinding
◼ pencil biting
◼ sitting improperly at the computer
◼ holding a phone on your shoulder for long periods of time
◼ slouching
◼ bending improperly
◼ crossing your legs when sitting
◼ prolonged immobility
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◼ overstretching muscles
◼ putting a constricting pressure on any muscle in the body
◼ nutritional deficits
◼ tension or anxiety
◼ chronic infection
◼ impaired sleep
Checking for TMJ in the Mirror
Like any disease or disorder, it takes a qualified professional to make a formal diagnosis. But, there are things you can do to see if TMJ is indeed a possibility. One is to do a physical check in the mirror. To do this, look into a mirror. Now open and close your mouth. Does your jaw tend to move to the right or the left? Does your jaw make any noises when you open it? Try wider. Finally, open your mouth as wide as you possibly can, without feeling any pain. Are you able to fit three fingers into your mouth? If you answered yes to the first few questions and no to the last, there’s a good chance that you suffer from TMJ and should see a doctor for a formal diagnosis.
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Do a Facial Imbalance Check
One of the clearest indicators of a jaw dysfunction (like TMJ) -- a facial imbalance -- is easy to check for. Simply stand in front of a full length mirror. This will let you see any imbalances that occur. First, look closely at your face. Do you notice if one eye is larger than the other?
Does it sit higher on the face than the other? If so, do your lips turn up on the side of the higher eye? What about your ears? Is the one on the Page 46
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higher side placed higher on the side of your head than the one on the opposite side? If the answer to these questions is yes, you have a jaw displacement on that side of your face. To double check these findings, look at the rest of your body. The level of your shoulders, breasts and hips should be lower on the side of the face that is higher. In addition, the leg on that side of your body will tend to be shorter.
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Checking Pain Patterns for Additional Clues
Pain patterns around the head and neck region are common for TMJ
patients. Some of the most common parts of the head and face that may feel tender to a firm touch include:
• above the ear
• in front of the ear
• in the ear
• in the muscles under the ear
• in the cheek muscle
• behind the neck
• in the shoulder muscles
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Of course TMJ pain can radiate (or be caused by) pain in other areas of the body too. This is often the result of poor posture and faulty habits which are a direct cause of body misalignment, which can cause pains in the arms, legs, wrists, feet, toes, back and shoulders, as well as the jaw. So be sure to tell your TMJ specialist about pain you feel anywhere on your body to help him/her make the most accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.
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Chapter Two:
The Three-Step Holistic
Treatment to Curing TMJ
Page 51
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