TMJ Jaw

The temporo-mandibular joint, or TMJ, acts like a sliding hinge, connecting your jawbone to your skull.

The jaw is one of our most used body parts - it is involved with eating, talking, breathing and, probably most importantly, expressing our feelings and emotions. This doesn't even include its extra uses as a hair and gum chewer, extra hand, head rest and bottle-opener.

Because of its importance, and the stressors to which it is exposed, things can go wrong, and it can hurt. So what is happening here?

Discussion about jaw pain invariably involves the temporo-mandibular joint or TMJ, and this is warranted.

The TMJ is a complex joint both in structure and function and serves as the 'hinge' around which the jaw moves. I say hinge in quotes because the movement here is not as simple, and this is often where problems arise. The movement is a bit of a roll, and a bit of slide which is governed by a system of muscles, ligaments and a cartilaginous disk which sits between the two bones.

So what goes wrong? The joint can get irritated and inflamed, the disc can get struck forward, and the joint can get stiff - or the opposite, and have way too much movement - and you end up in severe discomfort, contemplating a soup diet. BUT, Jaw pain is not always coming from the joints themselves.

The Symptoms of TMJ

Some of the symptoms that may be experienced are:

• Pain or tenderness of the jaw
• Headache
• Facial pain
• Ear pain, ringing in the ear
• Dizziness
• Difficulty in chewing
• Locking of the jaw
• Clicking sound or grating sensation when opening the mouth or chewing

Anterior disc displacement with reduction

This video demonstrates anterior disc displacement with reduction.