Tuesday, April 12, 2011

TMJ and Inflammation

This time of year, a lot of people suffer from allergies. With all the pollen of spring in the air, there are a lot of irritated sinuses and general inflammation. This is seasonal and often controlled with over the counter medication. However, if this sort of discomfort in the head and neck area is only made worse by the allergy season, it may be time to be evaluated for TMJ.

TMJ or tempromandibular joint disorder manifests itself with both pain and irritation in and around the head and neck. The jaw joint is not properly aligned causing inflammation in the surrounding connective tissues. This can lead to all kinds of irritation beyond the standard jaw pain and jaw clicking and popping. TMJ can cause ringing in the ears, waxy build up in the ears and general inflammation and discomfort in the face and neck area.

I am trained in the diagnosis and treatment of TMJ and I make a point of mentioning it frequently because many people tend to just live with TMJ pain or simply get pain medications diagnosed to deal with the discomfort and pain. If you have any persistent head, neck or jaw pain, including migraine headaches, please contact me today to be checked out for TMJ.

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