TMJ
Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome, more commonly referred to as TMJ, occurs when a person experiences pain in the jaw joint. There is a multitude of medical issues that can cause this pain, from poor posture to clenching and grinding, to misalignment of the jaw. Untreated, this pain can be not only debilitating but degenerative as well. If you’ve been experiencing jaw pain, tightness, clicking or popping in the jaw joint, headaches, or ear pain, you could be experiencing TMJ. If you believe you may be suffering from this medical issue, please contact us today.
"Chronic temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain affects millions of people across the country, the majority of them women."
But what causes TMJ pain, and how does the cause of the pain inform the proper treatment plan?
At Gallatin Valley Surgical Arts
We specialize in the treatment of patients suffering from TMJ disorders. Our absolute first step when seeing these patients is to review their medical history, examine their jaw area, and learn about their TMJ issues. Determining the cause or causes of their jaw joint pain is absolutely imperative to relieving the pain and curing the patient.
Your Treatment
TMJ pain will not be successful unless the root cause of your disorder is understood. For example, if your jaw pain is caused by arthritis, the treatment is very different from if your jaw pain is caused by stress.
It’s also important to note that many sufferers of a TMJ disorder may experience pain for multiple reasons. For example, a patient may have a misaligned bite and also grind her teeth. Another patient may have past jaw trauma as well as stress and anxiety that is making the issue worse.