TMJ is short for temporomandibular joint disorder. Caused by inflammation, deterioration or strain of the joint connecting the jawbone to the skull, TMJ can wreak a surprising amount of havoc on your body.

So often, pain and discomfort in one part of the body are actually triggered by injury or inflammation in an entirely different part of the body -- which makes diagnosis and treatment difficult. TMJ is a perfect example of this. You may be plagued by frequent headaches, neck pain or even dizziness and have no idea that these symptoms are coming from your jaw!

What Are Other Causes Of This Condition?

A temporomandibular joint disorder can also be the result of injury to the jaw or the spine, spinal misalignment, jaw clenching, teeth grinding or problems with alignment and bite.

How Do You Treat TMJ?

As with so many conditions, TMJ is frequently misdiagnosed or treated incorrectly. Pain and other symptoms are frequently medicated resulting in side effects and never addressing the core issue.

Fortunately, there is a solution in Chiropractic care. A chiropractor can treat the symptoms as well as the cause. While TMJ is often a chronic condition, chiropractic care gets to the source and provides relief without the constant need for medication that just masks symptoms.

How Do You Know If Chiropractic Care Is The Right Solution?

A consultation with a Tacoma chiropractor will help you discover the answer. Often, the cause of TMJ is an upper-cervical spinal misalignment. A chiropractor can identify the areas that need work, whether it be your jaw, your spine or most likely both.

If you are in the Tacoma area and are experiencing difficulty chewing, jaw popping or jaw pain, it's time to get some answers and relief.