TMJ Syndrome-The Hidden Cause

About 10 million people inAmericasuffer from Temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome.  TMJ syndrome is basically a problem with the joint between your jaw and your skull.  This joint is very sensitive and when is gets irritated or inflamed, you not only get jaw pain, but you also get headaches, neck pain, back pain, ringing in the ears and other symptoms.

The jaw pain can get severe.  Patients who have it have been known to commit suicide.  It can get that bad!

The common ways of treating TMJ involve bite splints, physical therapy and medication.  Bite splints correct misalignments of the teeth that can cause the jaw to go out of alignment when you bite down.  Physical therapy can help relax muscles in the head and neck.  Medication can help control the pain, muscle spasm and sleeplessness.

But does it help ?  Many times it doesn’t.  It is not uncommon for a TMJ patient to undergo a course of treatment costing $5000 or more, (insurance rarely pays) and get no relief.

Here’s one of the reasons why.  The position of the jaw is inter-related to the position of the head and neck.  When the head and neck are too far forward of the shoulders, the muscles pull the jaw into a bad position.  When you bite down, the TMJ joint will not position itself properly and it will be impinged.  The impingement causes the joint to be inflamed and spasms of the facial muscles will result.  That’s when the headaches and neck pain start.  Take a look at the drawing below, taken from the famous orthopedist Rene Caillet’s text book called Head and Face Pain.

To truly get relief from TMJ syndrome, the forward head posture needs to be corrected.  It can be corrected in a short period of time, without exercises, traction or crazy gadgets, giving you the relief you are looking for.  If you suffer from TMJ syndrome, you may qualify for a special type of posture correction treatment that will help your problem.  For a FREE, no obligation, TMJ Syndrome Recovery Potential Evaluation with TMJ posture correction expert,  Dr. Paul Kramer, call 262-251-8306 and speak with Karen or Pat.  You can get set up for the evaluation and discover if your condition can be helped.