The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) works like a hinge to connect your jawbone with your skull. There is one joint on each side of your jaw. TMJ can cause pain in the jaw join or in the muscles around the joint that allow you to control the jaw.
Signs and symptoms of TMJ disorders may include:
- Pain or tenderness of the jaw
- Facial pain
- Jaw clicking
- Difficulty chewing or pain while chewing
- Aching pain around the ear
- Pain in one or both of the temporomandibular joints (TMJ)
- Locking of the joint that can make it difficult to open or close your mouth
According to The Activator Method, Second Edition, “the protocols and procedures used, seek to establish normal, or as near normal as possible, biomechanics of the TMJ in order to restore jaw function that are as normal as possible. This, in turn, relieves many of the symptoms associated with aberrant jaw mechanics.”18 The authors stated that “these adverse effects may involve accessory structures such as muscles, tendons, ligaments, and secondarily involved joint complexes (e.g. the cervical spine).”
Are you having persistent pain and tenderness in your jaw?
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Reference: Fuhr A.W. Elsevier; St Louis: 2009. The Activator method. 2nd ed. pp. 333–352.