Jaw pain and teeth grinding are common issues that many people face today. These conditions are often interconnected and can be related to Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) imbalances. Are you waking up with jaw pain or headaches? Do you feel tightness around your jaw during the day? Are you feeling tired when you wake up in the morning? These could be signs of TMJ imbalances, a prevalent issue affecting many individuals. In this post, we'll explore how kinesiology can help alleviate jaw tension and improve your overall well-being.
Understanding TMJ and Its Impact
The Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) connects the mandible to the temporal bones of the skull. Jaw muscles control the TMJ, and muscle tone maintains the mandible's position. The intricate movements of the TMJ are driven by muscles, not the joint shape. Imagine this: your jaw is involved in movements like chewing and speaking, requiring healthy, functioning muscles to stabilize the joint. Problems arise when some muscles become overactive (hypertonic) while others are underactive (hypotonic). This imbalance can lead to:
Jaw muscle tenderness
Popping sounds when opening the mouth
Joint stiffness
Ear and face pain
TMJ disorders often result from muscle spasms and can affect people who grind their teeth. Other causes include jaw trauma, arthritis, poor occlusion (when teeth don't align correctly), stress, anxiety, sleep disorders and poor posture.
It is important to note that the muscles in your jaw can tense up as part of the fight or flight response in reaction to stress, causing you to subconsciously grind your teeth together, so imagine how much tension you are creating in your body if you are stressed.
How Kinesiology Works
Kinesiology is a holistic approach that focuses on restoring balance in the body, mind and biochemistry. It combines energy healing with structural work, addressing the structural, psychological, and biochemical aspects of health. We use muscle biofeedback to identify imbalances and underlying emotions associated with the problem. TMJ dysfunction can impact other body parts, especially the back. People often hold a great deal of emotion in their jaw muscles, and unless this is processed and released, any improvement will be temporary.
During a Kinesiology session, we test various jaw, neck, back, and hip muscles to identify imbalances. We often find some muscles are inactive while others overcompensate. Muscle feedback helps us identify emotions stored in these muscles, allowing clients to process and clear them. TMJ issues are often linked to repressed anger and fear, related to communication, expressing oneself, speaking your truth and feeling heard in the world.
Sometimes, the cause of the problem is forgotten, suppressed, or not associated with jaw pain, but muscle testing can lead to healing as we identify the underlying triggers. Kinesiology is powerful because it brings emotions from the subconscious to consciousness while identifying muscles that need re-balancing. By addressing the root cause, we raise awareness and develop an action plan.
Benefits of Kinesiology
Relieves Pain: Reduces tension and pain in the jaw muscles and other areas of the body as we restore the integrity of the muscles and bring awareness to what perceptions and responses need to shift.
Improves Sleep: Promotes better sleep by reducing discomfort and bringing a sense of rest to the body, mind and soul.
Reduces Stress: Helps manage stress and anxiety, often linked to jaw tension.
Improved digestion: TMJ muscles are related to the Stomach meridian. By balancing these muscles we are sending more energy to the stomach therefore helping to improve digestion.
Practical Tips
Regular Check-ups: Schedule a kinesiology session to maintain balance; and visit your dentist every 6 months to check your mouth health and teeth alignment.
Stress Management: Practice stress-reducing techniques like Yoga, meditation, deep breathing exercises, walking, exercising and journaling.
Conclusion
Jaw tension can significantly impact your quality of life and the pain and discomfort create a sense of instability and uncertainty about life which makes it quite difficult to move on and achieve your goals while expressing your full potential. Kinesiology offers a natural and effective solution as we address what’s been holding you back in life so you can restore balance while relieving pain, shifting your perception around what no longer serves you and coming up with new solutions for old problems. Trust me this is life changing.
Incorporate kinesiology into your wellness routine and experience the benefits for yourself. Interested in learning more about how kinesiology can help you? Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
Depending on the case, we may work in conjunction with a dentist or refer you to a TMD specialist for further assessment.
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