This week was the week for jaw and face pain. I had several new patients and even a few regular patients with the complaint of jaw pain or TMJ pain. In my years of practice, I’ve discovered that most of the patients with tension headaches also have a jaw problem. During the exam, I’ll ask about jaw pain and palpate the motion of the jaw. Oftentimes, the jaw is fixated or “stuck” on one side. What may surprise many people is that the stuck side is not always the painful side. The OTHER side is over worked and irritated. I use the Impulse Adjuster to adjust the jaw as well as adjust the neck and upper back. The Class IV laser also works well on alleviating pain for the short term. But, I can’t get great lasting results without patients doing some lifestyle changes. These include:
- Don’t chew gum. It wears those muscles out and makes them sore.
- Don’t sleep on your stomach. It’s terrible for your neck but also will misalign your jaw if you lay on your arm.
- If you have a bite guard or splint: WEAR it. It will at least keep the jaws seperated.
- Don’t eat hard candy or Jawbreakers (you’d think this would be a no-brainer) or tough meat.
- Remind yourself to relax your jaw periodically.
As with all conditions, consult your doctor regarding your case specifically. Frequent headaches, tinnitus (ringing in the ears,) ear pain, tooth pain, frequent ear infections, hearing loss, and face sensitivity may all be related to your jaw.
