For the past five or so years my jaw on the left side has been clicking. It clicks every time I open my mouth, and although I have learnt to live with it, I finally thought I’d give it another go of trying to fix it. I went to a specialist a few years ago who took a bunch of x-rays only to come up with jack shit.
Now I’m pretty sure its simply a case of tension and posture but for the life of me I can not fix it. I have been fixing my posture over the last few months thanks to Mike and Eric’s articles but the jaw continues to pop.
Has anyone had this and was able to fix it, or should I just throw in the towel and find myself a nice Papua New Guinean on e-bay to swipe a new jaw from?
I want to be able to eat a half kilo steak again without feeling like I’ve been king-hit for a couple of days after!
[quote]Neil Mac wrote:
For the past five or so years my jaw on the left side has been clicking. It clicks every time I open my mouth, and although I have learnt to live with it, I finally thought I’d give it another go of trying to fix it. I went to a specialist a few years ago who took a bunch of x-rays only to come up with jack shit.
Now I’m pretty sure its simply a case of tension and posture but for the life of me I can not fix it. I have been fixing my posture over the last few months thanks to Mike and Eric’s articles but the jaw continues to pop.
Has anyone had this and was able to fix it, or should I just throw in the towel and find myself a nice Papua New Guinean on e-bay to swipe a new jaw from?
I want to be able to eat a half kilo steak again without feeling like I’ve been king-hit for a couple of days after![/quote]
The Temporomandibular joint is possibly the most complex joint in your body. Surgery to correct issues like clicking can very often result in the condition getting worse instead of better. Conservative treatment is very often a night guard worn at night (or sometimes during the day if necessary) to rule out tooth grinding as a cause of the discomfort.
That means you may want to go that route before you take the next step into invasive treatment. If it persists and is truly causing pain and discomfort, I would recommend having an oral surgeon do an evaluation.
[quote]Neil Mac wrote:
I don’t grind my teeth so a mouthguard is not much use to me, [/quote]
I don’t think ProfX is suggesting that you wear a mouth guard because you grind your teeth. If fitted correctly, I believe it is to hold your jaw in the correct position. It takes off stress and trains your jaw.
I visited an Orthodontist once, and he could make one with a $20 Orthodontist material OR make one out of a 90 cent football mouthguard.
[quote]FamilyMan wrote:
Neil Mac wrote:
I don’t grind my teeth so a mouthguard is not much use to me,
I don’t think ProfX is suggesting that you wear a mouth guard because you grind your teeth. If fitted correctly, I believe it is to hold your jaw in the correct position. It takes off stress and trains your jaw.
I visited an Orthodontist once, and he could make one with a $20 Orthodontist material OR make one out of a 90 cent football mouthguard.[/quote]
That is what was meant and I probably should have been more clear. If the pathology is due to poor function or a muscular imbalance/spasm, having an appliance that holds your jaw in the correct position could help the issue.
I took a left hook while sparring a few years ago, and ever since it has been out of alignment. It does more than click, it pops, and I can’t move it in a straight plane. Hopefully one of those mouthguards will help me…
[quote]nickels wrote:
I took a left hook while sparring a few years ago, and ever since it has been out of alignment. It does more than click, it pops, and I can’t move it in a straight plane. Hopefully one of those mouthguards will help me…[/quote]
Right hook anyone? Just kidding!! I had the same jaw clicking issues for a few years (no specific injury). Eventally the clicking went away on it’s own as time passed. I have no idea why it started or why it went away, but it was very annoying.
I had that problem once. My dentist called it TMJ, Like prof x was talking about. He fit me for a mouth guard to wear at night for awhile. He said it was from stress and clenching my jaw shut at night. The guard absorbed the clenching instead of my teeth and it eventually went away. Hope this helps.
It sounds like you may have hypermobility of the TMJ and/or recurrent subluxation of the articular disc as shown in the diagram posted by Professor X. There are a number of things that could contribute to this (i.e. history of microtrauma or macrotrauma, less than ideal posture or body mechanics, muscle imbalances, or even upper cervical joint mobility limitations for which the TMJ must compensate for when chewing or talking).
You may want to check into seeing a physical therapist who is specifically trained in and regularly deals with treating individuals with TMJ dysfunction. (Depending on where you live, you may need a referral for this, but any dentist or physician could refer you if they choose.) I would really emphasize, though, that you find a clinician who deals with TMJ dysfunction regularly and with a high level of proficiency. Any PT “can” treat TMJ dysfunction, but most have honestly not been trained in the comprehensive skills generally needed to consistently rehabilitate individuals with the type of problems you are experiencing.
Fixing your posture won’t really help with this too much, you have to get at the muscles themselves first.
Those would be the masseter, pterygoid muscles (lateral and medial), SCM, trapezius, and buccinator. Those can all have effects on jaw muscles. It would also be wise to examine the scalenes and both heads of the sternocleidomastoid, they might actually be the root of the problem.
Try to find a chart or picture that has the placement of these muscles (like an anatomy book-gray’s is always good) and press on them with some light to moderate pressure. There’s probably gonna be some tender points in them, so massage them with short strokes at a reasonable level of pressure/pain.
I would also definitely focus on stretching the SCM, scalenes, traps, and levator scapulae. If it’s a postural issue too then you should already be doing that. They can get the whole neck, including the muscles of the jaw, tight if they’re strained constantly from postural issues.
If it really is a tension issue, then massage is CRITICAL. Give it a try before going any other route, especially
the expensive and often unproductive one of surgery.
Personally I wouldn’t go to a PT, unless they REALLY know their shit. More than half of PT’s are just a waste of money for this type of problem, at least in my experience. If you actually find one that can do ART well and knows his anatomy, do it. But it’s not likely.
I have the same problem. Last year I went to a TMJ specialist after I could not open my mouth wide enough to eat a sandwich. He fitted me with a two-part mouth piece that I wore for a month or so, and the pain went away/mobility came back. Now I only wear it when I’m stressed (I clench my jaw when stressed), and have had realtively little problems since.
My boss had the same problems but went to a chiropractor. He gets adjustments on a semi-regular basis and has had no problems since.
Bottomline, if it is TMJ, you have multiple routes to fix it. If it is due to clenching your teeth, then you really need to work on that too. That can lead to recessing gums, which leads to gum disease, which can lead to heart problems, etc.
The TMJ is a response to something else your body is doing. You need to find that out.
I have a sharp pain in my right jaw/ear-line that comes and goes as I open my mouth and/or chew. Yesterday my doctor says that it is possibly TMJ.
I don’t believe I grind my teeth at night, nor do I really clench my jaw.
What are the steps to finding the reason behind this and/or curing it?
I’m looking into the neanderthal series to help correct my posture and any potential muscle strains that might be causing it. I also might try out a mouth guard, soon.
I just noticed this and have never really thought about it before. I keep my mount(meaning my lips) closed most of the time, but my teeth don’t really touch as their neutral position–there is probably a consistent cm gap between the two jaws. Is that normal?
I am going to my dentist next week, is there anything that I should ask him to help this?
