Understanding the Connection: How Balance in the Jaw Affects Balance in the Body
Written by Dr. Jihyuk Park
If you have experienced a clicking sound in your jaw joint or felt pain while talking, chewing, and yawning, then you might have what is called temporomandibular joint disorders or TMJ. Simply put, TMJ disorders refer to a number of jaw problems caused by the movement of the jaw joint.
Patients often notice the dislocation of the TMJ through the noise and pain during jaw movement. If the symptoms get worse, mandibular movement can be further restricted. Although one might assume that the symptoms of TMJ disorders are localized to the imbalance of only the jaw, recent studies have shown that it may suggest more structural issues regarding the spine and posture, and may even affect the neurological stimulations in the brain.
How can the imbalance of such a small part of the body cause spinal and postural problems? The answer lies in the second neck bone called the axis. As its name suggests, the axis acts as the center of jaw rotation, especially when the mouth opens all the way down. So when the mandible slides down from the temporomandibular joint, a certain amount of pressure goes to the axis. If the TMJ is out of balance, it causes distress to the neck bone.
The axis has many neck muscles attached to it, coordinating the movement of the neck. If under stress, the axis rotates in one direction, triggering one side of the neck muscles to contract, causing the head to fall to the side or adopt a forward head posture. Thus, the imbalance in the jaw is propagated to the overall imbalance of the neck.
Then it is a domino effect down the road. The head weighs about the same as a bowling ball, and the upper cervical bones and molar bites distribute that weight evenly like the four legs of a table. If one of the legs starts to bear more weight than the others, all kinds of functional and structural problems ensue. Because the uneven distribution of weight in the upper joints calls for compensation in the lower parts of the spine, it causes the dislocation of back bones, uneven pelvic posture, or asymmetry of legs. Eventually, these can manifest in your gait as you feel something is odd when you walk.
It is like buttoning your shirt in the wrong hole from the top and then getting all the rest of them wrong. Do you see now how the jaw joint is like the very top button on your shirt?
In my practice, I prescribe a specially designed mouthpiece to adjust the bite, thus restabilizing the weight distribution among the neck bones and molar occlusion. I also perform acupuncture treatments and manual therapy to relieve tension around the TMJ area and related neck muscles. If inflammation is involved and causes pain globally in the spine, I prescribe herbal medicine. For patients with complicated cases, I work with dentists and physical therapists.
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