Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Disorder - A Simple Explanation of Symptoms and Treatment

Before getting into the meat of how to recognize TMJ symptoms and treat the disorder, it's important to understand the basics of the temporomandibular joint that gives this dysfunction its acronym. The temporomandibular joint is the hinge of the jaw. This joint or hinge is usually referred to as the TMJ, which can cause some confusion when discussing the pain or dysfunction that occurs at this location. In order to clear up this confusion, many medical professionals are beginning to refer to pain in the TMJ as temporomandibular joint disorder, abbreviated TMD. For clarity, medical professionals refer to the temporomandibular joint as the TMJ. Any symptoms or pain associated with the TMJ are referred to as TMD, TMJ disorder or temporomandibular joint disorder.

Every one of us has two TMJs - one on each side of our jaw. These joints work together to move our jaw up and down, so they carry a very important role in our lives. Without these hinges we wouldn't be able to speak or eat as effectively as we can. The name temporomandibular is conjured from two different bones that come together at the joint: the upper temporal bone and the mandible. The upper temporal bone is actually pare of the skull, where as the mandible is a bone all unto itself.

Where these two bones join together is what makes this joint particularly interesting and unique. At this union there is a disc called the 'articular disc,' which is made up of fibrocartilagenous tissue. This tissue is similar to the bendable tops of our ears and its purpose is to separate the joint in a way that allows our jaw to move in two different directions which turns out to be an important factor for speech and chewing. If this joint sounds complicated, don't fret - it certainly is. The TMJ is often referred to as one of the most complicated joints in the entire human body.

There are a wide variety of tendons, muscles, blood vessels and ligaments surrounding the TMJ. For this reason temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) occurs for a number of different and often unrelated reasons. In fact, there is not believed to be one particular cause of TMJ disorder, and the symptoms are often quite varied as well.

TMJ disorder symptoms can range from clicking or grating in the jaw, discomfort while chewing, tenderness or pain in the jaw, even earaches and headaches. As you can see from this list of symptoms, diagnosing TMJ disorder is far from straight-forward. Basically, the symptoms associated with TMJ disorder are varied and can be complicated. A good rule of thumb is that if you are experiencing any of the listed symptoms along with jaw pain near the hinge, you may be suffering from TMJ disorder.

As you may have guessed, treating TMJ disorder is not straightforward either. It may even be difficult to decide what type of specialist to see in order to seek treatment. If you have a headache, should you go to your dentist? If your jaw hurts, should you go to your doctor? The short answer is that if you believe that you have symptoms of TMJ disorder, you should consult a doctor. Taking the recommended dose of ibuprofen or acetaminophen is a good idea, and your doctor will likely recommend a series of exercises and stretches that will hopefully relieve some of your pain.