Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) is a common disorder, with approximately 70 percent of adults having at least one symptom of the disorder, but only 24 percent of them reporting problems (Walling 1841). Epidemiologic studies show that as many as 60 percent to 65 percent of the U. S. Population have some degree of dental malocclusion, a common cause of TMJ (Moses, 290). The condition is more common in women than in men ("Temporomandibular" 1942). People who clench their teeth or grind them when stressed or sleeping, people who chew gum, and those with poor posture are more likely to develop TMJ.
The temporomandibular joints are located in front of the ears, and are the joints attaching the lower jaw (the mandible) to the head (Moses 278). The TMJ is a joint which can slide and rotate, allowing the lower jaw to open and close, to move from side to side, and to move forward and backward, and perform these movements in combination. It is composed of bones, ligaments, tendons, muscle, cartilage, nerves, and blood vessels, so is a very complex joint (Moses 280).
Symptoms of TMJ disorder include pain in the jaw joint, which is worsened when the jaw is moved, clicking and popping noises heard when the jaw is moved, and restricted movement and opening of the jaw (Walling 1841). These are the three major and most prevalent symptoms for TMJ. There may also be neck and shoulder pain, ear pain, tinnitus, and insomnia. Headache is another common problem with TMJ.
The most common cause of TMJ is grinding of the teeth and clenching of the draw, which can occur when stressed or while sleeping ("Temporomandibular" 1942). It can also be caused by trauma to the head or neck such as in a whiplash injury, by malocclusion of the teeth and other dental and anatomic abnormalities, and by arthritis and osteoarthritis. Poor posture can also cause TMJ because movements of the jaw when chewing, swallowing, and speaking must be c...