JAW

 

Release Adhesion Tension 

reduce stress on TMJ.

 

Problem:

Occasionally when yawning or biting into something hard, the jaw (mandible) pops out of its notch (mandibular fossa), quickly pops back in or perhaps moves forward and gets stuck outside of its notch (displacement forward of condyle), causing jaw muscles (masseter, medial pterygoid) to spasm and jaw ligaments (temporomandibular) to overstretch. This is traumatic for the two cushioning articular discs that separate jaw bone & skull bone (one disc above the condyle head of each jaw bone). It jerks them out of their anatomically correct locations. Getting these discs to slide back & stay where they belong can be very tricky, since the overstretched ligaments allow jaw to become easily dislodged again. It generally takes 6-8 weeks for an overstretched ligament to heal, but if repeatedly overstretched, as often occurs in the jaw, recovery can take as much as a year or more. When both discs are slightly displaced, especially if the degree & direction of their displacements are different, a mild trauma is constantly present. Then jaw muscles exist in a constant state of mild tension & tiny spasms, which inhibits blood flow, allowing sticky calcium to build up and stiffen muscles & ligaments. To the therapist’s hands, if this condition has existed for a year or more, jaw muscles & ligaments feel knotty, very dry, and immobile. To make things even worse, the top vertebra (atlas) is often rotated and stuck to one side, improperly influencing jaw muscles, either pulling on them too severely or not enough. Atlas dislocation is often the main cause of TMJ imbalance and pain.

 

Treatment:

There are several techniques for getting a displaced jaw bone back into its home location, but keeping it there requires loosening and mobilizing the outermost jaw muscles & ligaments (masseter & temporomandibular). If not, jaw will remain slightly askew or crooked, and jaw mechanics will remain troublesome.

     Rotating the top vertebra (atlas) requires a thorough de-adhering and loosening of neck muscles (including scalenus from vertebra processes to top of first rib), before any permanent vertebra repositioning can be achieved. This can often be done in one treatment, although neck muscles will need time to recover and strengthen. Two or three follow up treatments over the next several months will be needed to address the little imbalances that occur during recovery.

 

Benefits:

  1. de-traumatizes jaw
  2. allows jaw to move more freely & easily.
  3. allows jaw to move without further traumatizing injury.
  4. de-adheres & loosens jaw muscles & ligaments.
  5. decreases harmful pulling & pressure on TMJ.
  6. decreases rubbing & friction that cause daily discomfort & pain.
  7. increases blood blow through injured jaw locations.
  8. significantly decreases cell tissue trauma.
  9. reduces or eliminates secondary pain, such as headaches.

 

Notes:

     TMJ injuries & imbalances require relief from trauma, and a lot of patience. One must patiently, daily, diligently do whatever is needed to prevent jaw from popping out of place.