TMJ and Chiropractic
When we think of Chiropractic care, we think about the obvious conditions we treat, not necessarily
Temporal-Mandibular-Joint Disorder or TMJ disorder. Jaw pain or TMJ disorder is a highly overlooked area
that some Chiropractors do treat, and treat successfully. Dr. Hutchens is one of these Chiropractors.
During treatment, some patients ask her why their dentist doesn't do what she is doing to treat their TMJ or
their jaw pain. Her answer: All dentists, chiropractors, and medical doctors are trained, and specialize in
different treatment regimes that don't always duplicate each other. Dr. Hutchens' work is very hands-on, literally speaking, and specialized.
What are the symptoms of TMJ disorders?
- Pain and soreness in your jaw joint and muscles of your face along with neck, shoulder or back pain
- Headaches, pain behind your eyes
- Noises in your joint such as clicking or popping sounds
- Difficulty opening and closing your jaw or chewing your food
- Your teeth not feeling like they fit together properly
- Difficulty opening your mouth wide
- Ringing in your ears, dizziness
- Grinding your teeth
- Awakening in the morning with soreness in your jaw or muscles of your face
- Sleep problems
Contributing factors that may lead to TMJ disorders
- Modification of the teeth through dentistry or accidental trauma
- Sleeping on one's stomach causing strain on the face, neck and lower jaw
- Speech habits resulting in jaw thrusting
- Excessive gum chewing or nail biting
- Excessive jaw movements associated with exercise
- Repetitive unconscious jaw movements associated with bruxing or teeth grinding
- Size and types of foods eaten
What can Dr. Hutchens do to help TMJ pain?
- She is trained to treat TMJ disorders and symptoms related to it
- She uses a complete TMJ protocol which consists of muscle releases to the external and
internal pterygoid muscles, masseter muscles and other facial/cranial related muscles
- She performs Cranial Work as part of her TMJ protocol. This is a light, gentle touch to
the cranial and facial bones to relieve pressure and pain to the face, head and jaw areas.
Most patients describe it as feeling like a head massage
- She uses different therapies such as Infra-red Light Laser Therapy and Ultrasound.
These are excellent for speeding up the recovery time, decreasing pain, and decreasing
inflammation in the TMJ and neck.
- As she is also trained to adjust the spine and other joints in the body, this is a helpful
component for relief of neck and upper back pain and headaches, too, but one that does
not have to be utilized unless specifically requested
- Complete postural analysis: This can be an essential tool for a successful resolution of TMJ disorders. A good rule of thumb is the place of pain may not be the originating point of the pain. Therefore, it is important to look at other structural issues in your body: do you have scoliosis, is one leg anatomically shorter than the other, are your feet pronated or do you have foot pain, is your pelvis rotated or do you experience back pain? These are just some of the questions and areas of the body to alternately seek answers