Among the indications for chiropractic care, the effectiveness of chiropractic care for TMJ disorder is not well known. The TMJ is another joint in the human body for which chiropractic can be an effective treatment. The shape of the TMJ is slightly different from other joints in the human body, and the muscles run in different directions. Although it is a part of the body used daily, talking without moving the mouth much or gritting one’s teeth due to stress may contribute to decreased mobility and muscle tension in the TMJ.
Another recent trend in TMJ disorder applies to reduced mouth movement in situations where patients are forced to live with masks due to the global spread of Covid19 infection, which began in 2020.
The main focus of treatment is to balance the opening and closing muscle groups and to equalise the timing of the TMJ. Also, a straight neck affects TMJ movement, so cervical spine manipulation is used depending on treatment needs.
Another major symptom of TMJ disorder is a “clicking” sound when opening the mouth. This is caused by the misalignment of the articular disc (cartilage), one of the components of the TMJ, when opening and closing the mouth. If pain is present at this time, chiropractic care can be an effective means of treatment, although it must be differentiated from tooth decay. While dentistry primarily uses mouthpiece orthodontics, chiropractic care can improve clicking sounds by correcting the above conditions. If you suffer from jaw conditions, please try chiropractic care at Chiropractic Spine.