TMJ Relief Center

Welcome to the TMJ Relief Center

Why Jaw Specific Treatment?

When your jaw isn’t happy you aren’t happy, and chances are those around you aren’t either. It is estimated that we open and close our mouths over 2000 times per day.  You probably don’t think about it if you are not in pain, but if you are, you can’t help but think about it!

Symptoms that may indicate a problem with the TMJ (jaw disorders)  can include any of the following:

• Pain
• Clicking and Popping
• Inability to open all the way when eating
• Locking
• Trouble sleeping
• Snoring
• Headaches
• Facial Pain / Ear Pain and  Fullness
• Anxiety and depression
• Painful chewing and talking
• Increased pain and sensitivity in areas of the body other than the jaw

When most people think about who to call when they have jaw pain, a dentist comes to mind.  That can be a good place to start, especially if you have specific issues with your teeth such as a cavity, erupting wisdom teeth, broken or cracked teeth or significant malformation and positional issues of individual teeth.  For the most part, dentists work on the HARD parts of your mouth (bone).

But what really makes up your jaw? In medical terminology your jaw is called your Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ).  Temporo refers to the  bone of your skull that seats or “receives” the lower jaw bone. Mandibular refers to the bone that most of us call the jaw.  Joint refers to all of the muscles, ligaments and even a tiny disc that knit the entire complex together. You actually have two separate TMJ joints, one on each side of the face.

In actuality, the internal bony components of your mouth are actually not part of your TMJ. They do however, exert a large influence on how it works.

But what if those components are intact and you still have pain? 

That is where TMJ specific assessment and treatment comes in.

Once direct issues with the teeth have been ruled out, focusing on the soft tissues of the TMJ itself ( as well as regional and global movement and posture disorders; forward head posture, limited and painful movement of the neck, etc. ) can often identify the pain producing structures of the debilitating condition. In health care, direct focus and treatment  of joint and muscle issues are typically performed by chiropractors and physical therapists.

We have worked on Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD) and Headache Syndrome (HA) patients in our practice for over 30 years. Originally, these cases came secondary to existing neck pain and spinal issues. Over the last 10 years, there has been a sharp rise in these conditions presenting as a  primary complaint. The skyrocketing use of technology in virtually all walks and age groups of life and the default posture it requires, has created tremendous stress on the articular and soft tissue structures in the head, neck and upper extremity. This has driven many more people into these clinical categories.

In order to more efficiently address these conditions, we have  formalized  our treatment and assessment protocols to specifically identify those patients most likely to benefit from conservative measures  and to streamline the most effective  treatment techniques available for their management.

On this web-site you will find a wealth of information on a variety of approaches to TMJ related issues, not just our approach. There are also a lot of tips and exercises you can try on your own to help yourself, and that may be all you need. If after reviewing the information, articles and videos you still find yourself hurting or confused, please reach out to us.  We have a complimentary consultation that may help you cut through the myriad of approaches out there. In addition, we have put together a very unique, effective and cost conscious treatment approach that may be just what you have been seeking.

Thanks for visiting our site! If you have any questions or concerns you think I can help you with, don't hesitate to contact me.

Yours in Health,

Dr. Doug