The temporomandibular joint is the hinges like structure in the mouth that joints the lower jaw to the temporal bone in the skull. This joint is very flexible and allows the movement of the jaw up and down and also side by side to facilitate our various activities such as talking, chewing, yawning and swallowing.
A disorder of the TMJ Temporomandibular Joint such as non-alignment of the jaw leads to chronic facial pain and problem in movement and the opening of the jaw. Such disorder can be broadly classified into 3 categories:
• Myofacial Pain: This is the severe discomfort and pain in the muscles that control the jaw, the neck and the shoulder.
• Dislocated Jaw: This occurs when there is some accident or a hard punch hit on the face to displace the jaw disc.
• Degenerative Joint: This leads to the degeneration of the joint over a period of time. Mostly age is a contributing factor to this.
To cure the TMJ disorder there are various cures based on the gravity of the dislocation. But majorly physical therapy, pain relievers, stress management, mouth guard, diet modification etc. can aid in resolving the TMD.
