TMJ Detroit

Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ or sometimes TMD), is sometimes described as a mysterious condition because its many symptoms can make it hard to diagnose. We can help if you’ve been trying unsuccessfully to get care for any of the following symptoms:

Many people are surprised and dismayed at the diversity of symptoms caused by TMJ. How can one illness result in so many symptoms, they ask.
In its simplest form, it’s an irregularity in the function of one or both temporomandibular joints, the joints that link the lower jaw to the skull. This basic dysfunction might take the form of displaced cushioning discs in the jaw joint, or it might be irregular motion or an irregular resting position. For some people, that’s all it is, but for many people, it develops into something much more complex.

The temporomandibular joints are located at the crossroads of the body. Many of the body’s most important nerves pass by or even through the temporomandibular joint. Some of the body’s largest blood vessels are in that area. And the body’s vital airway passes right between the temporomandibular joints.

With such a complex and crowded environment, it’s no wonder that a simple jaw dysfunction can lead to far-ranging effects. Inefficient muscle movements can make the jaw muscles sore—facial pain—and lead the jaw to recruit assistance from neck muscles, causing neck pain. Pinched nerves can lead to headaches, tingling, and numbness. And the ear, with its delicate hearing and balance organs, is actually located in the temporal bone—part of the temporomandibular joint.