Can Jaw Problems Be Causing My Headaches?
Jaw Problems and Headaches Are Often Interrelated
Do you ever wonder if jaw problems aka tmj cause headaches? Do you ever wake up in the morning, yawn or chew, and hear your jaw click? Do you think your jaw issues and your headaches could be connected to each other?
In this article, I discuss if jaw problems can be causing your headaches –– and how I resolve these types of problems with chiropractic care and cranial therapies.
Chiropractic, Jaw Problems and Headaches
Teeth grinding or clenching can be the result of other areas of biomechanical imbalance in the body or trauma to the jaw. Stress can cause all kinds of problems, from sleeplessness and grinding your teeth at night to headaches, migraines and even stomachaches. In fact, stress is often a major problem with my chiropractic patients. Lifestyle changes are often needed to reduce stress, but sometimes the symptoms of stress persist even after stress has been reduced. Fortunately, these symptoms can be relieved with a simple treatment plan.
TMJ Issues Are Common
If your jaw is painful in the morning, if it clicks when you chew, if it pops when you open your mouth widely, or if your teeth feel pain in the morning, you’re probably grinding your teeth at night. This could all be the result of a temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, which connects your jaw to your skull’s temporal bones.
Symptoms of Jaw Problems That Cause Headaches
TMJ disorder or TMJ Syndrome is a broad medical term for a common problem, which is acute or chronic inflammation of your temporomandibular joint. Among my chiropractic patients, the most common causes range from teeth grinding and trauma, to excessive nail biting and degenerative joint diseases.
Symptoms of TMJ often include:
- Difficulty in chewing
- Discomfort and pain in your jaw
- Dizziness
- Earaches
- Headaches and migraines
- Jaw locking
- Neck pain
- Noise (clicking) while chewing
- Shoulder pain
- Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
How Chiropractic Can Help a Jaw Problem
Dentists may recommend a night guard to prevent you from grinding your teeth. However, a night guard often does not stop you from grinding, only from harming your teeth if you continue to do so.
If you are experiencing jaw pain, headaches, migraines or even dizziness or tinnitus from TMJ dysfunction, I can address the cause of those symptoms. I can gently adjust the joints of the skull and jaw and use trigger point therapy on the chewing muscles to reduce physical stress and restore function to the jaw.
As you are recovering, I would also recommend:
- Ice packs to decrease inflammation, numb pain and promote healing.
- Soft foods diet to allow your jaw to rest temporarily avoiding hard, crunchy or chewy foods that may be causing jaw pain.
- Jaw exercises to help improve your jaw mobility.
- Relaxation techniques such as hypnosis, massage, meditation and yoga to reduce stress.
Want to Learn More About Jaw Problems and Headaches?
Now that you know how your jaw problems and your headaches are interconnected and how a chiropractor can treat them, please contact me to set up an initial consultation. I can determine what first caused your jaw problems and headaches, followed by a treatment plan that can relieve both.
