San Francisco, CA
TMJ Treatment in San Francisco: What is TMJ?
TMJ, also known as the temporomandibular joint disorder, is a common disorder that causes pain and discomfort in your jaw. The temporomandibular joint connects your jawbone and skull So, when the muscles and nerves get damaged, this connection is compromised which causes you pain. The pain and discomfort from TMJ usually leads to more pain during everyday activities like chewing, yawning, and can cause inflammation and swelling in your face.
Common symptoms of TMJ (which we have seen at your San Francisco TMJ treatment clinic):
- Jaw pain
- Aching pain around or in your ear
- Discomfort when chewing
- Facial pain
- Jaw clicking
- Locking of the jaw
TMJ Treatment in San Francisco: What Causes TMJ?
- Disc Degeneration: This occurs when the disc wears away over time leaving the jaw bones to rub against each other and irritating the nerves.
- Misaligned Disc: If you have experienced teeth grinding or are an excessive gum chewer this can lead to a misalignment in your jaw. When those jaw ligaments stretch and tear, it can pull the disc out of position causing you discomfort.
- Damaged Joint Cartilage: Like all joint point, TMJ can be caused by injury and damage to the joint cartilage.
- Muscle Adhesion Build Up: There are 4 main muscles that are involved with jaw motion; Lateral Pterygoid, Medial Pterygoid, Masseter, Temporalis muscle. All can develop adhesions, scar tissue or knots from overuse, grinding or clenching.
Get Treatment of TMJ by a Chiropractor at One of Our San Francisco Clinics
When you visit us at our San Francisco clinic to treat your TMJ, we will assess your symptoms and look beyond just your jaw. We will take a total approach to wellness to help get you on the road to recovery and living a pain-free life. Our treatments may include a series of adjustments to help relieve those irritated nerves and provide relief as well as improve your jaw’s range of motion. We also might include Active Release Technique , a soft tissue therapy, to help break up adhesions and scar tissue surrounding those muscles and ligaments.
If you are a clincher or grinder then a bite guard is recommended. SF Custom Chiropractic uses a variety of holistic treatments to help your body heal itself completely and relieve you of pain. Contact us to treat your TMJ pain or if you have any other pain in your body. We are here to help!