What is TMJ ? – National TMJ Awareness Month (part 1 of 3)

What is TMJ? – November is National TMJ Awareness Month (part 1 of 3)

Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ or TMD) refers to a set of conditions that causes pain in the area of the jaw and problems using the jaw which affects your ability to speak, eat, and chew.

“TMJ” stands for Temporomandibular Joint, or the jaw joint. You have two TMJs, one in front of each ear, connecting the lower jaw bone to the skull. These joints allow movement up and down, side to side, and forward and back which is necessary for biting, chewing and swallowing food.

The abbreviation “TMJ” literally refers to the joint but is often used to mean any disorder or symptom of this region.

According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, part of the National Institutes of Health, “Approximately 35 million people in the United States suffer from TMJ problems.”

Injury and conditions that routinely affect other joints in the body, such as Arthritis, also affect the TMJ joint.

Be sure to check back for Next week’s Article: What are the Causes, Symptoms, Treatments, and Prevention for TMJ? – National TMJ Awareness Month (part 2 of 3) . . . or keep yourself up to date with what is going on at Belvidere Chiropractic Center by simply subscribing to Belvidere Chiropractic’s RSS Feed or to our Email Updates. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIN.

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