Oviedo TMJ Sufferers Find Relief Through Chiropractic Care
Oviedo TMJ patients have another option for treatment, chiropractic care. Many people are surprised to learn that chiropractic care can play a pivotal role along with good dental care in alleviating and correcting problems with TMJ also called TMD.
About the Temporomandibular Joint
The Temporomandibular Joint or TMJ is also known as the jaw joint. It is the joint that connects the lower jaw, or mandible, to the skull by virtue of a set of joints located on both sides near the front of the ear canal. This joint is uniquely designed because it is essentially two “hinge” joints aided by very strong muscles allowing us to chew food and speak. Since the 2 joints have to work in perfect harmony, any biomechanical mishaps can and will affect the function of this set of joints and can lead to painful symptoms.
What is Temporomandibular joint disorder aka TMJD or TMD?
Temporomandibular joint disorder, also called TMD, essentially is a dysfunction of the TMJ joints which can result in pain in the joint, tightness in the associated muscles, clicking, or at its worst can cause the jaw to lock. Over time the condition has been called TMJ even though that is just a shorthand phrase for the joint name when in actuality the person is really describing TMD.
How Does TMD/TMJ Happen?
No one has stress, right? Well it is well understood that stress effects the body. Physical stress to the TMJ from excessive overuse of the jaw can be one cause. Did you know though that stress to the neck and shoulders can also be a contributing factor to TMJ. Dr. Janowitz did his senior research project on TMJ and Chiropractic and found several articles citing that upper cervical (neck) misalignment (also called vertebral subluxation) can be the cause of the TMJ joint to function improperly. Remember, everything is connected in the body, especially in biomechanics. A tight problematic trapezius muscle on the right side can lead to a upper neck problem on the left side, and that left upper neck pain can cause a problem to the right TMJ.
The Oviedo doctors at Synergy are trained to fully assess the overall posture of our patients and can often uncover multiple postural distortions that can weaken the body and show up as a TMD symptom. There may be no other symptoms, but often TMD is associated with neck pain, headaches, or both.
Of course, emotional stresses also affect the TMJ, neck, and shoulders which can also strain the TMJ and lead to painful TMD. Dr. Janowitz earned two bachelor’s degrees- one in psychology and the other in human biology which he then earned his doctorate in Chiropractic. This combination of degrees helps him understand our Oviedo and Winter Springs TMJ sufferers as he often provides stress management workshops.
Click here if you want to learn more about his health workshops.
Ok, So How Do We Correct TMD? Our Oviedo Chiropractor Offers Natural Treatment for TMJ Pain.
Understanding the global biomechanics is important, but just diagnosing it and not putting attention to fixing it is fruitless. Our team of chiropractors are national board certified chiropractors who are skilled at adjusting the TMJ gently using instruments that provide a controlled light amount of force. Additionally, our Oviedo Chiropractors adjust and correct the other associated postural weaknesses that if left uncorrected can keep perpetuating the problem. We also combine physical therapy, home exercises, stress management and sleep techniques, and massage therapy.
What About My Dentist?
At Synergy, we believe in working with other great providers, especially your dentist for the total care and co-management of TMD. Additionally, wear and tear on the occlusal surfaces of the teeth (the pointy parts that chew the food) can also indicate teeth grinding during sleep, otherwise known as Bruxism. Your dentist may offer a night splint to stabilize the area. Combining their appliances with our biomechanical corrections often provide significant improvement if not complete resolution. Click here for a list of some great dental providers in our area that work with us in assisting TMJ sufferers.
Lunch and Learns
If you’re looking for academic workshops that can inspire greater levels of health, employee satisfaction, and increased productivity, then having Dr. Janowitz speak at your office is a great investment. Synergy Oviedo Chiropractic proudly comanages TMJD cases with local oral healthcare providers and offers many of these lunch and learn workshop programs free of charge. To see if your company is eligible to receive this program free of charge, please email us at [email protected]
Dr. Janowitz had the opportunity to share information about comanagement of TMJ patients with Alafaya Family Dentistry team
In Summary
Dr. Eric Janowitz and his team can help jaw pain sufferers by getting to the root of each of these stressors. By relieving the cause, we can treat TMJD from the inside out. With very precise diagnosis and treatment of spinal misalignments, he can help patients experience dramatic jaw pain relief. The pain relief lasts when patients participate in the corrective exercises, lifestyle advice (including stress-relieving techniques) and nutritional counseling that our clinic offers. Not only will this relieve jaw trouble, but helps patients experience an overall improvement in health and wellness!
We invite everyone suffering with jaw pain to call us today at 407-505-4320 to find out how we can help!
