Jason S. Bradford - TMJ No More: The Complete Guide to TMJ Causes, Symptoms, & Treatments, Plus a Holistic System to Relieve TMJ Pain Naturally & Permanently

Jason S. Bradford

Copyright 2014 by Jason S. Bradford

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2014. All Rights Reserved.

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The Publisher has strived to be as accurateand complete as possible in the creation of this book. While allattempts have been made to verify information provided in thispublication, the Publisher assumes no responsibility for errors,omissions, or contrary interpretation of the subject matter herein.Any perceived slights of specific persons, peoples, ororganizations are unintentional.

This book is not intended for use as a sourceof legal, business, accounting or financial advice. All readers areadvised to seek services of competent professionals in the legal,business, accounting, and finance fields.

The information in this book is not intendedor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice,diagnosis or treatment. All content contained in this book is forgeneral information purposes only. Always consult your healthcareprovider before carrying on any health program.

Thetemporomandibular joint is the joint that allows you to open andclose the jaw. The joint connects the mandible or lower jaw to theupper jaw and face. This joint is known as the TMJ and is the onlyconnection of the mandible to the rest of the body. The joint is asmooth ball-in-socket joint that is flexible enough to open andclose the jaw, move the jaw from side to side and be able toaccurately chew food. The muscles around the TMJ support the jointand control its movement and function.

The temporomandibular joint is located infront of your ears. When you open and close the jaw, you can feelthe stretch of the skin overlying the joint. The joint normally hasa smooth ball in joint movement. If you feel too much crunching andclicking of the joint, you might have TMJ syndrome.

The lower jaw or mandible consists of theball part of the joint called the condyles. The socket is locatedon the temporal bone of the head, which is why the joint is calledthe temporo-mandibular joint. There is a soft disc between thecondyle and the temporal bone that acts like a shock absorber tomake the joint protected from certain movements and chewingbehaviors.

The TMJ is one of the most complicated jointsin the body because it has a hinge-type behavior and slidingmobility that makes it easy to malfunction. The jaw joint also hasa complex system of muscles and ligaments that hold the jointtogether as it moves.

TMJ disorders can cause significant pain anddysfunction of the jaw joint. The muscles that control jaw movementcan be too tight and this can cause stiffness of the joint. Morethan 20 million people in the US are believed to be affected by TMJdisorders. More women seem to have the problem when compared tomen.

Most people have no pain or problems with theTMJ; however some will have cyclical pain in the joint that goesaway without any treatment. Some people, on the other hand, willhave long term symptoms associated with the joint and will becomedebilitated by the pain and inability to chew affectively.

TMJ syndrome is the result of stressorsplaced on the surrounding structures of the joint, including thedisc cartilage, nearby ligaments, nerves, blood vessels, themuscles of the jaw, neck or face, and possibly the teeth. For manypeople who have TMJ disorders, there is no obvious cause or thecause is as yet unproven. Some unproven causes include having apoor bite, having problems with orthodontic braces, psychologicalstress, and grinding of the teeth.

People with poor posture can get TMJsyndrome. If you are one who sits forward all day staring at acomputer screen or television, you can be at risk for TMJ disorder.Lack of sleep can play a role in the disease. If you have amuscular trigger point or tender spot located in the muscle ofthe facial area, this can cause you to have problems with yourTMJ.

Arthritis of the TMJ, fractures of the faceor mandible or frequent dislocation of the joint can trigger TMJsymptoms.

There are basically three types of painassociated with TMJ syndrome and they need to be approacheddifferently from one another. These include:

Internal derangement of the TMJ, such as a discthat has become displaced, an injury to the condyle or dislocationof the TMJ.
Myofascial pain, which is pain to the muscles surrounding andcontrolling the joint (this is the most common source of TMJpain).
Arthritis in the joint itself, which can be degenerative innature or inflammatory in nature.
You can have any combination of these types of pain together, forexample, inflammatory arthritis that is also associated withmyofascial pain.

Many people have no particular cause fortheir TMJ syndrome, which makes treatment difficult. In fact, TMJdisorder is one of the most difficult facial diseases to treat.There are surgeries available for TMJ but these tend to cause moreproblems than they treat.

Interestingly, people with TMJ syndrome oftenhave coexisting conditions including chronic fatigue syndrome,fibromyalgia or sleep problems. No one knows if these disordershave a common cause or exactly what the relationship is betweenthese disorders and TMJ disorder. Those with rheumatic diseaseslike rheumatoid arthritis can also get TMJ disorder as a secondarycondition. Rheumatic diseases cause inflammation, pain andstiffness of the joints, bone and muscle. Both rheumatic conditionsand TMJ issues can involve inflammation so they may be related inways we dont know yet.

Because so little is known about TMJdisorders, allopathic doctors have little to offer those sufferingfrom the disease. For this reason, many people sufferunnecessarily. This guide hopes to offer you ways to cope withtemporomandibular joint disease so that the pain and debility ofthe disease is lessened. Many people suffer from TMJ disorder andthere are probably many more who suffer without even telling theirdoctor.

There is hope for treating TMJ disorders sothat you can eat normally, chew, bite down and be free of pain andabnormal sounds in your head. In this guide, we will talk aboutwhat you might be experiencing with TMJ disorder and whichtreatments, conventional or alternative, will control your pain,clicking sensation and stressful feelings.

Melanies Story: I worked as a typist at alawyers office since I was 25 years old. I didnt realize that Iwas clenching my teeth when I typed and I think I had my desk setup wrong so it put extra pressure on my jaw. I began having pain inmy head and I felt a clicking sensation in the joint in the frontof my ear, which I later learned was my TMJ. Rather than seekinghelp from my family doctor, I sought the services of an alternativemedicine doctor, who recommended kava for me as well as exercises.She showed me how not to clench my jaw when I was typing and toldme how I could fix my workspace so my neck wasnt tilted wrong. Idid everything she asked and got relief within a couple of weeks. Ido my exercises faithfully and have no real pain.