TMJ Alignment & Self Help

In Need of some post dental work TMJ Relief?

Ever felt like screaming while you were at the dentist?  Something like “Get your hands out of my  mouth AHHHHHH!” Does this photo bring up memories of painful or long hours in the dental chair with your mouth pried open?  Well, even if you aren’t dressing up as a werewolf this Halloween you need always to be prepared to sink your teeth into something.  Limited or painful opening of the jaw can be corrected by a skilled Registered Massage Therapist.

Massage Therapy for the chewing muscles (mastication) is a therapeutic modality that has been perfected by therapists over the last couple decades.  As a Registered Massage Therapist I trained in intra-oral work years ago while I was in massage college.  “Working in the Mouth” using a combination of myofascial release techniques, stretching and movement education for realignment of the jaw is a unique manual therapy. This modality can reduce muscle spasm that inhibits the opening of the jaw post oral surgery, extensive dental work or injury.  Bruxism or teeth clenching and grinding can create unnecessary wear on the teeth and the vulnerable Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ).  Asymmetries in jaw movement caused by painful or sensitive teeth and habitual poor jaw mechanics can leave a person using their jaw with less than optimal efficiency.  This can lead to a need for more expensive dental work and decreased enjoyment of eating chewy or large foods.

The TMJ is directly related to the neck and shoulder girdle so poor posture will involve the TMJ and how it opens and closes.

Habitual finger nail biting and mouth breathing can also have an effect on the TMJ mechanics.  Craniosacral Therapy can assist in balancing the function of the cranial vault in conjunction with the TMJ in particular with the mastoid process of the temporal bones, vomer, palatines and maxillary bones symmetry and motion.  This type of balancing and myofascial release can also have an effect on the sinus congestion and headache pain that can accompany TMJ problems.

I have produced a couple YouTube videos for your viewing.  These will help you to understand the mechanics of your jaw, its anatomical relevance to your neck, posture, movement and breathing habits.You will also learn more about what working in your mouth can do for your current TMJ condition.

Watch the self help video here for some tips and movement sequences to help your TMJ.

Consult the writer if you would like to experience this work or would like more information.  Book Here NOW.

Posted by Roxanne Derkson  Registered Massage Therapist, Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner and Craniosacral Therapist