Osteopathy and Jaw Pain

Jaw pain is a collective term for any kind of pain or discomfort felt in the different parts of your jaw. These parts include the lower jaw or jaw bone, temporomandibular joint, also referred to as TMJ or jaw joint, and all the surrounding tissues in the area. The most used joint in the body, the temporomandibular joint connects your jaw to your temporal bone in the skull and is basically responsible for holding your lower and upper jaw together.

Jaw pain can be characterized by a striking, a dull, or a very painful ache that you may not be capable of opening your mouth. This pain may be accompanied by jaw clicking, headaches, dizziness, sinusitis, and sensitive teeth. These pains in your jaw can be triggered by normal activities that can worsen the pain, like eating or even just with touching your jaw. If this kind of pain is accompanied by other conditions such as chest pain, pain in your extremities, shortness of breath, and sweating, this pain may even be indicating you are having a heart attack. If this happens make sure to immediately seek urgent medical attention.

Jaw pain can either be chronic or acute depending on its underlying cause. It can be caused by the stress or damage to the temporomandibular joint that can lead to the tempormandibular joint disorder, which can be caused by any wears, tears, diseases, and injuries in the tissues surrounding the joint. Moreover, it can also be a symptom of an underlying condition such as teeth grinding and infection. Furthermore, this kind of pain can be caused by diseases such as neuralgia, rheumatoid arthritis, and heart attack. Lastly, jaw pain can also be caused by alterations in your posture that causes your jaw to tighten, stress that can cause spasms, and daily unhealthy habits such as regularly chewing gums, and eating hard types of food.

However, if symptoms of heart attack are not present, you may want to consider seeking help from a practicing osteopath. After you undergo different examinations that are ultimately non-invasive, you will be offered with various treatments that may help alleviate the jaw pain you are experiencing. You may be treated with a soft tissue and other techniques that can help your jaw and neck to be even and aligned.

You may also be prescribed with various exercises and stretches that may improve your posture, eating, and other lifestyle habits. An experienced osteopath may be of great help in alleviating and potentially removing your jaw pain completely.