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TMJ Symptoms - Headaches and Jaw Pain Can be Relieved

One out of every 10 Americans suffers from chronic headaches, and they spend over half a billion dollars every year for over-the-counter medications to relieve their pain.

They never imagine that their headaches may be caused by TMJ, and that their pain is the result of a bad bite.

A bad bite can put your jaw-to-skull relationship out of alignment. When this happens, TMJ symptoms occur. This cluster of TMJ symptoms can include: headaches, earaches, ear ringing, loud jaw clicking, even stiffness and pain in the jaw, neck, shoulders and back. This cluster has puzzled doctors in the past. Now we can put a name to it: TMJ.

According to recent studies, more than 40 million Americans suffer from TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder) or MPD (Myofascial Pain Dysfunction). The good news is dentists are taking the lead in finding solutions.

If you, or someone you love, suffer from the symptoms of TMJ, set up an appointment with your dentist soon. You may find that TMJ is the missing piece in the puzzle -- and, that the treatment works!

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.

What is TMJ Syndrome, Anyway?

The first symptom you may notice is that you can't eat a Big Mac anymore; it's just too big for your mouth.

Or you have a headache and your shoulders are stiff; the pain fluctuates from bothersome to excruciating.

Or chewing gum becomes torture, and you find yourself ordering soup and yogurt.

These are some of the signs of a TMJ disorder.

The term is a catchall for a variety of disorders relating to the temporomandibular joint-or TMJ-of the jaw.

The TMJ, which lies just in front of the ears, is a complex system of bone, cartilage, muscle and nerve that when working properly gives the jaw tremendous versatility and strength.

When the joint is abused by teeth grinding, injured by a blow to the jaw or head, or weakened by age, jaw pain can result. Stress, trauma, a bad bite, or arthritis can strain the jaw beyond design.

Dentists are more familiar today than in previous generations with the symptoms: jaw clicking, jaw popping, migraine, headache and the causes and treatments for the complex disorders.

A more stressful society is also taking its physical toll. The most dramatic research shows one in five Americans suffer from some degree of TMJ disorder. More conservative estimates put the number at one in 10.

However, many of those cases only may reveal themselves through a rather benign clicking or popping in the jaw.

In turn, the treatments prescribed by TMJ treatment clinics range from counseling and psychological therapy to splints and, in severe cases, surgery.

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.