Can Acupuncture Help with TMJ?
Are you still experiencing temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ symptoms) despite trying several treatment options? Acupuncture could ease your pain and improve imbalances that may be triggering your symptoms.
What Is TMJ?
Temporomandibular joints located in front of the ears on both sides of your face are essential for jaw movement. These hinged joints make it possible to open and close your mouth, bite, chew, swallow, talk, laugh, and yawn. TMJ affects the joints, muscles, cartilage discs, ligaments, and nerves in the TMJ joints, causing pain and inflammation.
If you have TMJ, you may notice:
- Jaw Pain That May Be Worse in the Morning or After Chewing
- Neck and Shoulder Pain
- Headaches
- Ear Pain
- Tinnitus (Hearing Ringing, Buzzing or Sounds)
- Clicking or Popping Sounds When Opening or Closing Your Mouth
- Difficulty Moving Your Jaw
- Jaw Locking
- Tooth Pain
What Causes TMJ?
TMJ has many causes, including:
- Tooth and Jaw Issues. TMJ may occur if you clench or grind your teeth or your jaw or bite are misaligned. These problems stress the joints and tissues in your temporomandibular joint.
- Arthritis. Arthritis may causes degeneration and inflammation in the joint, causing pain and stiffness.
- Injuries. A blow to the jaw or a difficult tooth removal could lead to TMJ symptoms.
- Stress. Tension in jaw muscles due to stress may also strain the joint and cause or worsen TMJ symptoms.
- Chewing Habits. Chewing gum or eating hard or chewy foods, like apples, nuts, and gummy candy, also strain the structure in the hinge joints and could be the reason your jaw hurts.
- Poor Posture. Poor posture may be a factor in your TMJ pain, particularly if your head protrudes farther forward than normal. This change in posture often occurs with aging, but can happen if you hunch over when using your cellphone or computer or slouch or carry a heavy bag or backpack.
5 Benefits of Acupuncture for TMJ
Acupuncture restores balance to your body and promotes healing by encouraging the free flow of Qi. Hair-thin needles placed in your skin during treatments eliminate Qi blockages, which may ease your TMJ symptoms. Acupuncture helps TMJ by:
- Relieving Pain. Acupuncture treatments relax the muscles around the jaw, decreasing pain and tension on the jaw joints. Treatments also improve blood flow to the muscles and trigger the release of the pain-relieving hormones endorphins and serotonin. Acupuncture has a positive effect on TMJ, according to a research study published in QJM in 2024. Study participants received weekly real or sham treatments for four weeks. At the end of the study, participants who received real acupuncture treatments experienced significantly less pain and noticed improvements in jaw opening and movement.
- Increasing Blood Flow. Acupuncture improves blood flow to the jaw, which helps inflamed and damaged tissues heal.
- Easing Stress. Stress can be a factor if you grind or clench your teeth. In addition to relieving pain, endorphins and serotonin also play an important role in stress reduction by helping you feel calmer.
- Reducing Inflammation. Inflammation in and around the jaw joint causes pain and stiffness. According to a 2021 review published in the Journal of Inflammation Research, acupuncture treatments have a strong anti-inflammatory effect.
- Improving Results When Combined with Other Treatments. Combining acupuncture treatments with other treatments may offer better relief of TMJ symptoms. The European Journal of Dentistry explored how acupuncture and dental treatments eased the TMJ symptoms of 22-year-old woman in 2020. After experiencing severe TMJ pain, the woman received five acupuncture sessions in addition to undergoing an occlusal adjustment to correct the alignment of her teeth. Following the last acupuncture session, the woman no longer had any pain.
Relieve your TMJ symptoms with acupuncture. Call our office to schedule an appointment with acupuncturist.
Sources:
Oxford Academic: QJM: Effect of Acupuncture for Temporomandibular Disorders: A Randomized Clinical Trial, 5/6/2024
https://academic.oup.com/qjmed/article/117/9/647/7665707
PubMed: Journal of Inflammation Research: The Anti-Inflammatory Actions and Mechanisms of Acupuncture from Acupoint to Target Organs via Neuro-Immune Regulation, 12/21/2021
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8710088/
NCBI: European Journal of Dentistry: Acupuncture in Temporomandibular Disorders Painful Symptomatology: An Evidence-Based Case Report, 10/1/2020
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7536091/
MedlinePlus: TMJ Disorders, 3/31/2024