So you have jaw pain and nothing quite seems to do the trick. You've tried your dentist, you have a mouth splint, you've taken meds and by now you may even be considering jaw surgery surgery, orthodontics or equilibration. Whoa! Before you consider any drastic steps, maybe it's time to consider another possibility first. Why don't we have our friend below teach us a little about how that thing that attaches our head to our shoulders- the neck- can contribute to TMJ or Jaw Pain.
1. MUSCLES-
Neck muscles often refer pain to your face and your head. At least a half dozen neck muscles- the sternocleidomastoid, trapezius, digastricus, semispinalis cervicus, splenius capitis, splenius cervicus among them- are just a few of the tongue-twisting muscular contributors to TMJ pain.
2. TrigeminoCervical Complex.
Your head and neck have a center for incoming pain signals that… gets a little confused at times. Sometimes it can't tell just where your pain is coming from! This confusion is due to a common neurological connection that each share called the TrigeminoCervical Complex. Pain in your jaw is unfortunately sometimes perceived by this complex as pain in your neck- or vice versa- neck pain can be perceived as jaw pain.
Neck muscles often refer pain to your face and your head. At least a half dozen neck muscles- the sternocleidomastoid, trapezius, digastricus, semispinalis cervicus, splenius capitis, splenius cervicus among them- are just a few of the tongue-twisting muscular contributors to TMJ pain.
2. TrigeminoCervical Complex.
Your head and neck have a center for incoming pain signals that… gets a little confused at times. Sometimes it can't tell just where your pain is coming from! This confusion is due to a common neurological connection that each share called the TrigeminoCervical Complex. Pain in your jaw is unfortunately sometimes perceived by this complex as pain in your neck- or vice versa- neck pain can be perceived as jaw pain.
3. Scoliosis or Neck Misalignment-
If your head is tipped sideways, how do you ever expect to keep your mouth straight when chewing up and down?? If your head isn't screwed on straight, there's no way your mouth alignment can remain straight either. If your mouth isn't aligned vertically symmetrical, than one side is working differently than the other and this asymmetry can begin to tax the jaw.
4. Poor Posture-
A head that is craned forward will often compress the tissues just below the back of the skull. This area is inundated with tiny blood vessels and nerves. If the vessels and nerves are pinched by this compression, they will refer pain to your face, head and jaw.
Also, the tissue in the front of the neck is taut. It pulls the jaw backwards and downwards causing increased pressure on the sensitive areas around your TMJ. The downward force from your taut neck tissue must be counteracted by muscles to hold the jaw up. The masseters and temporalis muscles- the muscles depended upon to close your mouth- are elected for this task and they quickly become irritated at having to volunteer their overtime services.
By correcting any of these dysfunctional neck issues, you can significantly alleviate your TMJ or jaw pain- likely avoiding a much more costly and involved medical intervention. So next time you have jaw pain- don't let it become a pain in the neck!
If your head is tipped sideways, how do you ever expect to keep your mouth straight when chewing up and down?? If your head isn't screwed on straight, there's no way your mouth alignment can remain straight either. If your mouth isn't aligned vertically symmetrical, than one side is working differently than the other and this asymmetry can begin to tax the jaw.
4. Poor Posture-
A head that is craned forward will often compress the tissues just below the back of the skull. This area is inundated with tiny blood vessels and nerves. If the vessels and nerves are pinched by this compression, they will refer pain to your face, head and jaw.
Also, the tissue in the front of the neck is taut. It pulls the jaw backwards and downwards causing increased pressure on the sensitive areas around your TMJ. The downward force from your taut neck tissue must be counteracted by muscles to hold the jaw up. The masseters and temporalis muscles- the muscles depended upon to close your mouth- are elected for this task and they quickly become irritated at having to volunteer their overtime services.
By correcting any of these dysfunctional neck issues, you can significantly alleviate your TMJ or jaw pain- likely avoiding a much more costly and involved medical intervention. So next time you have jaw pain- don't let it become a pain in the neck!
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