Fixing Jaw Pain: The Ultimate Self-Help Guide Towards TMJ Recovery; Learn Simple Treatments and Take Charge of Your Pain

By Sid Anandkumar

Fixing Jaw Pain is a self-help guide designed for people suffering from issues with their temporomandibular joint (TMJ) or jaw joint. Some common symptoms include jaw pain, facial pain, clicking, locking, reduced opening or closing of your mouth, stiffness, headaches, ear pain, ringing in your ears, tooth pain, grinding

• Language: English
• Publisher: Koehler Books
• Release date: Feb 15, 2021
• ISBN: 9781646632688

Sid Anandkumar

Sid is an author and a registered physical therapist working in private practice in British Columbia, Canada. He gave a TEDx talk titled "Low back pain-myths vs facts" in 2018 and is the recipient of the 2019 Physiotherapy Association of British Columbia award of excellence for clinical contribution. Sid passed his master's program in India in 2013 with a gold medal and distinction and has published many research articles in international peer-reviewed journals. In his free time, Sid loves to run, hike, paint, sing classical Indian music, write poetry, and laze in bed with a book. www.physiobysid.com

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INTRODUCTION

THE TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT (TMJ) IS a joint located in front of your ear, and it is also known as your jaw joint. We have two of these joints working together as a pair. The TMJ is formed by a single jawbone (known as the mandible) connected to either end of the skull through the temporal bone (Fig. 1.1). From an embryological point of view, the TMJ does not appear until the eighth week of gestation, and it’s one of the last joints to develop in utero.

Figure 1.1. Temporomandibular joint

TERMINOLOGY

Telling someone you have a TMJ is like saying you have a knee or a shoulder. Problems associated with the TMJ are known by various terms, which include temporomandibular disorders (TMD), temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJD), orofacial pain (OFP), craniofacial pain (CFP), and craniomandibular disorders (CMD). In general, TMD refers to a broad group of clinical problems that may be associated with the TMJ, the surrounding soft tissue or bony structures, and the masticatory muscles (i.e., muscles which help you in chewing). It is the most common cause of non-dental pain in the craniomandibular region.

WHY IS TMJ IMPORTANT?

The use of TMJ is crucial for our daily living. It helps us with activities that may broadly be classified as one of the following:

Personal (like brushing teeth, kissing, hugging, sexual activities)

Basic functional (like talking, chewing, eating, yawning, facial expressions)

Social (like singing, playing musical instruments)

Hence issues with the TMJ can critically affect your health-related quality of life, disturbing family, work, leisure, and personal interests.

INTERESTING FACTS ASSOCIATED WITH TMD

TMD is most prevalent between ages twenty to forty-five years.

It affects women (predominantly childbearing age) two times more than men, and they are more likely to seek help from health-care professionals.

TMD can affect up to 12 percent of the population, and only about 5 percent seek treatment.

Along with back pain and headaches, TMD is one of the three most common chronic pain conditions.

There is a high financial burden with TMD due to treatment and loss of productivity. It extends up to four billion dollars per annum, and almost 85 percent of this cost is associated with chronic TMD.

Are you able to relate any of this information to yourself?

WORKSHEET 1.1

Name

Gender

Below, please list your hobbies, leisure activities, or stuff you do for fun.

How has your problem affected you? (Feel free to include various things like work, life, sex, food, family, personal or social interests.)

How much money have you spent on your problem up to this point? (Please list—make sure to include the cost of this book as well.)

Have you skipped work because of this problem? If yes, how many days?

Please list the health-care professionals you have seen for your problem up to this point.

1. FUN WITH ANATOMY

THE AIM OF THIS CHAPTER is to help you learn the basic anatomy of your TMJ and the way it functions. This provides a foundational knowledge and an owner’s manual, helping you understand the problems that can occur with the TMJ in the upcoming chapters.

FIRST LAYER: BONES (FOUNDATION OF TMJ)

We have two TMJs (right and left) formed by the mandible (jaw) and the temporal bone (cranium or skull). The temporal bone is located above the ears (referred to as the temples) and forms a part of your cheekbone (called the zygomatic arch) (Figure