In every TMJ consultation that I do, I ask about clenching. I consider it to be an important factor that contributes to jaw tension, which I treat with manual therapy. Clenching is a habit that people do unconsciously, and most of the people who come to me for TMJ relief consultations and sessions clench and/or … Continue reading Treating TMJ Issues: you can learn to stop clenching
Tag: teaching
Jaw pain is rarely entirely in the jaw! If you were building a tower, and one of the floors wasn’t level, it would affect the floors above it — unless you somehow compensated. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is kind of like that, only it’s because it has settled unevenly on the ground beneath it. … Continue reading Treating TMJ issues: asymmetries in the rest of the body affect the jaw joints
A new clue about bruxism. A neurology practice noted that of its patients who had restless legs syndrome (RLS), 60% also had bruxism (grinding teeth during sleep). Eighty-three percent had RLS and migraines, and 52% had RLS, migraines, and bruxism. Do you relate? The lead neurologist for this study speculated there is a gene that … Continue reading Treating TMJ issues: restless legs and sleep bruxism
Based on patients I’ve seen for jaw pain since 2013, I created this portrait of a typical patient. And of course, I’ve seen other patients who don’t fit these criteria. She’s female. It's been said that women are nine times more likely to suffer from jaw pain. She first experienced jaw pain in her teen … Continue reading Treating TMJ issues: portrait of a typical patient
The sphenoid bone is one of the most fascinating bones in the body. If you were looking at someone and could see their bones, the sphenoid would be behind their eyes and in front of their ears, with the outermost parts (the greater wings) accessible at the temples, and the lowermost parts (the pterygoid processes) … Continue reading Treating TMJ issues: the role of the sphenoid bone