Migraines are the most common symptom of Temporomandibular Disorder. Many people go through life suffering from migraines unable to find relief with common medications and therapies. They do not realize that their jaw could be a significant contributing factor to these severe, debilitating headaches.
If you suffer from headaches and migraines, neck and shoulder pain, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), jaw joints that click, pop, or lock, limited opening of your jaw, have problems sleeping, or experience facial pain, you may be suffering from TMD (Temporomandibular Disorder). TMD is an under diagnosed problem resulting from a misaligned jaw. TMD is often misdiagnosed because the symptoms are easily confused with other issues.
A majority of pain in the head and neck area can be attributed to over-strained muscles. Restoring your teeth, jaw, and muscles to a balanced and healthy relationship can provide relief from migraines and other head and neck pain. Migraine medications can ease the acute symptoms, but do not address the root problem. When teeth don’t fit together in the proper position, the joint and muscles fatigue and wear out over time.
There is hope! With TMD therapy, patients experience a reduction in frequency and severity of headaches. Many report that they have complete relief from migraine headaches! This changes lives. A very sweet patient came to us suffering from a severe migraine that lasted 6 weeks straight. TMD therapy gave her back her life! She no longer battles these debilitating headaches.
It all starts with a phone call and a TMD consult. We will take a look at the 3-D x-ray of your joints together and assess the health of your jaw and neck muscles. We can measure the activity of the muscles of the head and neck to find the exact position that will be most comfortable for you. Then, we test drive this position with a device called an orthotic. The orthotic fits over your lower teeth and repositions the lower jaw to a physiologic position that’s comfortable to the muscles. Many patients experience relief from their pain and headaches almost immediately. For others the joint and muscles need a little time to heal. During the orthotic phase of treatment, the position of the jaws is fine-tuned until symptoms are resolved or significantly improved.
Now that the orthotic has helped to find that harmony between the joints, muscles, and jaws, you can stop worrying about your pain and feel free to live your life!