TMJ - TEMPORO MANDIBULAR JOINT

Please first read, “The Real Cause…The Real Cure” on the Home page.

T.M.J. stands for Temporo-Mandibular Joint. It’s the joint between the lower jaw (the mandible) and the temporal bone of the skull. Every time we eat, speak, yawn, or even swallow, this joint is moving. Several muscles contribute to the functioning of this joint.

Just the other day a girlfriend and I were taking our dogs on a walk. My friend mentioned that she had a terrible toothache. She had had some dental work done a couple of months before, and she told me that she thought it was done improperly. I mentioned how many times what we think are toothaches, are actually just tight contracted muscles around the jaw. I asked her if she’d like me to take a few minutes, when we got back to our cars, and massage and stretch her facial muscles. I didn’t have to twist her arm; she jumped at the opportunity. My friend was amazed at how the pain diminished as the moments passed. After about ten minutes, my friend was pain free on one side of her face and just had a slight residual pain left on the other side.

I know for myself, if I’m not careful, I can hold a lot of tension in my jaw. And, it causes the same sensation as a toothache. But I know that most of the time that it’s just tight, contracted muscles because I can massage and stretch my facial muscles and be out of pain.