Our jaws are essential to our daily lives. We use it to eat, drink, speak, sing, laugh, and yawn. However, even when the jaw is not being utilized, misalignment can produce pain and discomfort.
Misaligned jaws are inconvenient and may interfere with daily tasks. Many patients seek medical treatment for jaw and tooth pain, which can lead to expensive and intrusive surgeries.
Thankfully, chiropractic treatment can help us fix our misaligned jaws through less invasive medical and dental procedures. Chiropractic jaw realignment relieves pain and relaxes jaw muscles, allowing the jaw to realign through soft-tissue exercises.
Read on to discover how chiropractic treatment can help us relieve pain and keep our jaws aligned.
The Causes of a Misaligned Jaw
The lower jaw (mandible) is joined to the temporal bone (the lower side of the skull) by two temporomandibular (TM) joints.
The jaw may move in all directions thanks to joints, discs, ligaments, and muscles. This misalignment may cause joint inflammation as well as other issues. Misalignment occurs when the TM Joint disc moves forward or backward.
Jaw misalignment is caused by a variety of circumstances. Stress, head or facial trauma, teeth grinding, poor posture, whiplash, and neck injuries can contribute to jaw misalignment. Arthritis, TMJ/TMD, and severe or irresponsible dental operations are among the factors that might affect the bite.
Recognizing a Misaligned Jaw
Jaw misalignment can cause minor or insignificant symptoms. Misalignment can cause significant discomfort as well as chronic disorders such as TMD (temporomandibular disorder).
Headaches, jaw discomfort, tinnitus or blocked ears, slurred speech, neck pain, teeth grinding, jaw pain, neck misalignment, and difficulties with eye movement are all symptoms of a misaligned jaw.
Understanding TMD
TMD (Temporomandibular Disorder) is a disorder that causes chronic facial pain and can make chewing, speaking, and other jaw movements difficult. Headaches, neck pain, earaches, and toothaches are all symptoms of TMD.
TMJ is an abbreviation for the temporomandibular joint, but it also refers to persistent inflammation and pain in the TM joints, including TMD.
What Chiropractors Can Do to Correct Jaw Alignment
Your jaw misalignment will be corrected by the chiropractor. Jaw and TMJ pain manifests itself in various ways.
After diagnosis, a chiropractor will select the most effective treatment for you after analyzing your jaw. To correct your jaw, the chiropractor may use a variety of procedures, such as
- Manual TMJ adjustment
- Massage of the jaw muscles
- Neck repositioning
- Jaw adjustment and massage
- Joint workouts
- TMJ activator with a spring-loaded handle
Chiropractors can help with the following jaw misalignment by fixing subluxation, degenerative TMJ disorder, capsulitis, synovitis, polyarthritis of TMJ, osteoarthritis of TMJ, myalgia, and myofascial pain syndrome.
Jaw problems, such as jaw misalignment and TMD, should disappear quickly once the jaw is straightened by a professional chiropractor.
Jaw Realignment: Knowing the Procedure
Typically, there is no audible popping or cracking during a jaw realignment. Precision jaw adjustment makes it softer. Misaligned jaws might be millimeters off, requiring accuracy.
Your neck and spine may be adjusted by your chiropractor. Misalignment of the vertebrae can cause neck strain, which puts pressure on the mouth muscles. The movement of the TM joint and jaw muscles may then be examined.
The chiropractor will next adjust the jaw using one of the aforementioned approaches. Changes may bring immediate relief.
Conclusion
While a misaligned jaw causes discomfort, it is critical that patients do not try to fix the issue themselves. If you try to adjust your jaw without expert help, you may end up doing more harm than good. As such, for safe jaw alignment, seek the services of a professional chiropractor.
If you’re interested in getting chiropractic treatments, Hawker Chiropractic is here to offer you only professional services for your mind, body, and soul. Set your appointment with us today!