Chiropractic Care for TMJ and Jaw Conditions
in Mount Maunganui

Jaw misalignments or mal-positions in the Bay of Plenty and our immediate area are unfortunately common and can happen for a variety of reasons and causes. Usually, this includes trauma, stress, teeth grinding at night, jaw clenching, neck subluxations or former neck and whiplash injuries. We have also seen these conditions appear simply from bad habits undetected over a long period of time. These conditions often lead to jaw, or TMJ pain, headaches, clicking or popping or the jaw, dental issues, headaches, “lock jaw” and neck pain.

Jaw misalignments can be very painful and damaging to one’s quality of life. We see a number of patients here at our Mount Maunganui Chiropractic with these conditions and a good number of them definitely present with the above complaints and note that it’s drastically affecting their quality of life. The good news is (at least feel is anyways😊), is that we are trained and have years and years of experience helping those in the Bay of Plenty with jaw, or TMJ, issues and get you back to feeling like yourself.

How to Tell if my Jaw is Misaligned?

Sometimes, it’s pretty easy to tell if you have a jaw misalignment. Many people instantly notice jaw pain or muscle tension around the jaw, which is one of the most common indicators that you may have an issue developing. However, there are other symptoms that may let you know there is an issue going on. This includes but is not limited to:

• Severe jaw pain
• Pain and discomfort eating or yawning
• Popping or clicking in the jaw
• Ear popping
• Slurred speech
• Headaches
• Neck pain

It is important to know that there are some people who have a misaligned jaw, but don’t actually have any symptoms or pain or discomfort. What we usually see is that over time, this misalignment can lead to more serious problems including headaches, migraines, dental issues and even slurred speech.

A full Chiropractic, Orthopaedic, and Neurological examination can help determine whether or not you have a TMJ or jaw issue that requires attention.

What Does TMJ Mean?

When it comes to pain in the jaw, you will often hear the term, “TMJ’ used to describe this condition. What exactly does TMJ mean?

TMJ is a term used to describe a group of conditions that cause pain and dysfunction in the jaw joint and in the muscles that control jaw movement. These conditions typically fall into three main categories:

• Myofascial Pain: Discomfort in the muscles responsible for jaw function.
• Internal Derangement: Displaced discs, injuries or a dislocation in the jaw.
• Arthritis: Inflammatory or degenerative joint disorders that can impact the temporomandibular joint in the jaw.

You can have one or more of these TMJ conditions at once, they are not mutually exclusive. We have found that there are many people in the Mount Maunganui and Te Puke area suffering from TMJ disorders seeking help.

What Are Some of the Most Common Jaw/TMJ Conditions A Chiropractor Can Treat?

There are a few different jaw or TMJ conditions we treat here at our chiropractic office. This includes the following conditions:

• Degenerative TMJ disorder
• Subluxation in the Jaw
• TMJ Displacement
• Capsulitis
• Polyarthritis in the TMJ
• Synovitis
• Myofascial pain disorder
• Osteoarthritis of TMJ

After a full examination, health history and x-rays (if required), our team at Mount Maunganui Chiropractic will be able to determine the best type of adjustment and treatment plan needed for your specific condition. We are pretty big on taking objective looks at spines (and jaws) and giving our patients realistic outcomes. Like any health care provider we are unable to guarantee results, but will always give our best recommendations and thoughts on how our patients should respond to our care and structural approach.

Many times, we have patients who come in and who are completely unaware that they have a TMJ condition. Many times misalignments in the jaw can occur from past traumas including car accidents, braces, whiplash injuries, falls, head trauma, poor sleeping positions, improper ergonomics and poor posture. Most people either have had a trauma to the area or there are problems as a result of bad habits over long periods of time (leading to changes in the spine/vertebrae/jaw).

What to Expect From the TMJ Chiropractic Technique

If you are struggling with TMJ or jaw issues, the best way to treat this issue is to visit a chiropractor. After a detailed evaluation, a doctor of chiropractic will determine which type of manual adjustment is needed to treat your condition.

TMJ adjustments are very gentle. You won’t hear or feel the same type of popping or cracking you experience with other types of chiropractic adjustments. Depending on the type of misalignment you are dealing with, your doctor may do one of a few different types of chiropractic adjustments:

• Manual, deep tissue nerve and soft tissue releases of the muscles surrounding the jaw
• Activator adjustment to the TMJ using a handheld, spring-loaded instrument
• Specific structural adjustments to the neck or occiput
• Jaw exercises to strengthen the misaligned joint

You will find that these adjustments and soft tissue work are quick, comfortable (most of the time) and very effective—and that they can finally help you get rid of all of your jaw-related symptoms and issues.

For the majority of people, young and old, checked in our clinic, there has either been a significant overall improvement in their TMJ problem or it has completely solved the problem they presented with. If you or someone you know is suffering call us at (07) 574 3099 for a complimentary consultation and to set up a time to have your jaw, spine and nervous system checked.

Dr. David Guest is a Doctor of Chiropractic, a member of the New Zealand Chiropractic Association, and owner of Mount Maunganui and Te Puke Chiropractic in the Bay of Plenty. Dr. Guest focuses on an area of chiropractic called Structural Correction and has been in practice for 19 years. He loves helping spines of all sizes and shapes. You can reach Dr. Guest at david@mtchiro.co.nz or (07) 574 3099.