Temporomandibular joint disorder, otherwise known as TMJ Syndrome, can be very painful. I cannot even imagine going though TMJ surgery.

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What causes TMJ Syndrome? I have have found in my practice that many cases of T.M.J were caused by grinding or clenching of the teeth. Some cases were caused by accidents that resulted in whiplash or an impact to the jaw.

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I am 100% in favor of helping my clients to avoid TMJ surgery. The required therapy can be very painful at times, but well worth it.

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My first TMJ client was trying to avoid surgery and she was in pain all of the time. She was forced to resort to a liquid diet because she could not chew at all.

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In our first treatment I started working the muscles of the jaw. The Masseter, Zygomaticus Minor and Zygamticus Major muscles were very tight and tender. I began by using very light pressure and circle friction, slowly adding pressure as the muscles relaxed.

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After working the jaw for about 35-40 minutes, I started working the neck area. I find with a lot of TMJ clients that issues with the neck can cause jaw problems, so it is important to achieve a good neck release. After working the neck, I moved down to the Pectoral Major and Minor muscles, which were also very tight.

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The treatment produced great results and she was very happy with the improvement. We made another appointment for two days later. 

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Many people who receive this therapy are sore the next day. However, it is a different kind of pain than before so they don’t mind it as much.

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For the second session I did the same routine but added some work to the inside the mouth and the Mastoid Process. This stage of the therapy required initially applying light pressure and gradually working up to a heavier pressure.

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After 4 sessions my client was able to eat soft food. After approximately ten 2-hour sessions she reported that she was feeling normal again. The cause in her particular case was grinding of the teeth at night. We continued her therapy at the rate of one or two sessions per month for maintenance until she was able to obtain help with stopping her teeth grinding habit.

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Rev. Brian