Temporomandibular Joint Disorder and Headaches

    PHOENIX, AZ, February 02, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Headaches are the most common symptom of temporomandibular joint disorder (also called TMD or TMJ), and they can be so severe as to seem to be migraines.

In fact, TMD/TMJ headaches are often misdiagnosed as migraines.

With TMD/TMJ, headaches are rarely the only symptom. And because TMD/TMJ shares symptoms with other conditions including arthritis and sinus infections, you may need to consult with a neuromuscular dentist in order to determine whether TMD/TMJ is causing your headaches.

Other symptoms of TMD/TMJ include:

- Face, neck, shoulder and back pain
- Jaw tension or pain
- Jaw clicking or popping
- Jaw locking
- Earaches or ringing of the ears (tinnitus)
- Sensation of numbness or tingling in the arms, hands and fingers

These painful symptoms can become chronic without treatment, because TMD/TMJ is typically the result of a bite condition or misaligned jaw that creates undue pressure on the compact network of nerves, muscles, joints and bones in the connective region between your jaw and skull.

Within this area is the temporomandibular joint, from which TMD/TMJ draws its name, and the trigeminal nerve, which plays a role in biting, chewing and swallowing. The trigeminal nerve is also responsible for sensation in your face, and when it is receives additional stress from bite or jaw alignment problems, it can send pain shooting through your head and other parts of your body.

Using advanced technology, your neuromuscular dentist can determine your proper bite and natural jaw alignment position to help determine whether TMD/TMJ is the source of your headaches. If so, information gathered during your diagnosis--including teeth and jaw measurements, motion mapping and the correct resting position of your jaw--will be used to provide the basis for your custom treatment plan.

There are a number of TMD/TMJ treatment options, and the right one for you will depend on the specifics of your condition.

If you live in the Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale or Tempe, Arizona, areas and would like to learn more about temporomandibular joint disorder and whether TMD/TMJ may be responsible for your recurring headaches, please visit the website of neuromuscular dentists Dr. Scott LeSueur and Dr. Charles Dodaro at http://www.drofsmiles.com.

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