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Can a Chiropractor Help with TMJ Pain?

If you have tightness, pain or a clicking feeling in your jaw, you may be suffering from TMJ pain.  Good news is, we can treat your TMJ issues at our Little Rock or North Little Rock chiropractic clinics.  With some simple stretches, TMJ exercises and TMJ chiropractic adjustments, we can help alleviate your symptoms and provide relief.  

What is TMJ?

Temporomandibular disorder (TMD), more commonly known as TMJ is a blanket term for acute or chronic inflammation of the temporomandibular joint.  This joint is what connects your mandible to your skull and can become irritated or inflamed leading to issues.  Some of these symptoms or issues include:

• pain or tenderness in jaw
• headaches
• aching pain in or around the ear
• difficulty or pain while chewing
• popping or clicking sound in jaw when opening mouth
• locking of the joint, difficulty in opening or closing mouth

Chiropractic Treatment of TMJ

A trip to your Little Rock or North Little Rock chiropractor is a great way to address these issues.  The first thing we will do in office is rule out a problem with the muscles surrounding the joint that help open and close the mouth.  The three key muscles we will focus on include the masseter, the temporalis, and the pterygoid.  These muscle are no different than any other, in that they are susceptible to strains, tightness and weakness.  Once we check for trigger points within these muscles, we will work on both stretching and activating the muscles.  Just like other muscular issue, we want to follow the rules of:  stretching and/or mobilizing the appropriate tissues, then activating the tissues for joint stability and proper muscular mechanics.  After our soft tissue work, we will move onto adjusting and assessing the jaw in a chiropractic TMJ adjustment.  Your Little Rock chiropractor or North Little Rock chiropractor may also recommend exercises for you to perform at home to help aid in your recovery and management of your TMJ pain.

At Omnis Rehab: Joint and Performance Center we treat many patients with TMJ pain and symptoms that go along with it.  If you are tired of dealing with the issues, we are here to help.  Visit our website to set up an appointment or speak with one of our staff.  You can also check your insurance benefits here.