Dentists are successfully treating a number of common body ailments with the use of a simple, non-surgical technique of realigning the patient’s jaw. The method is being used to relieve headaches, backaches and stomach upsets, and to solve speech and hearing problems. It can also be used to re-adjust a person’s face to improve its appearance.
The technique involves correcting, the balance of the temporomandibular joint—TMJ for short—which is located just in front of each ear, where the lower jaw is hinged to the skull.
Dentists believe that a misaligned TMJ joint may be the source of many everyday aches and pains. They can detect if the joint is in balance by studying the patient’s mouth, and his face in general, and pressing on his neck and shoulders. An imbalance can then be corrected and a normal bite restored by inserting a small plastic appliance into the back of the mouth. “The principle behind this treatment is that a dysfunction of the TMJ joint projects down throughout the whole system,” said a dentist. “A TMJ dysfunction puts stress on the neck muscles, which pass the stress on to the back vertebrae and so on.”
The disorder can be linked to a number of things. Skateboard falls, an automobile accident, yawning very vigorously and gum chewing are all causes of TMJ dysfunction. Cupping the telephone between your shoulder and chin, or other hard objects, or even cradling your chin while watching TV can lead to a misaligned TMJ joint. “One common cause is bruxism—a technical term for grinding one’s teeth,” said an expert. (more…)
“Are you sure my headache is caused by tension? I was uptight before I went away, but my headache didn’t really start until I began to relax.”