TMJ Cure

Several mysteries regarding TMD can be answered by simply realizing that the truths of joint injuries also apply to the TMJ:

• No joint injury is ever cured. Orthopedic surgeons have never cured a joint injury. Surgical and non-surgical types of treatment serve to restore joint function as much as possible. The decisions regarding treatment need to be based upon the injury and the least invasive level of management necessary to improve function. You don't require knee surgery if an occasional use of the knee brace provides a good functional level of management.
• Joints can receive permanent injuries but still continue to function well for extended periods of time. We have all heard of someone having a "trick "knee. That is a previously injured knee which functions well most of the time. This "trick" knee may have no real issues for 30 years or more, but one wrong step off a curb may send you to surgery. The "trick" knee was injured for all 30 years, but functioned until the step off the curb sent us to surgery. Such is the world of joint injuries.
• All TMJ injuries are traumatic, either micro-traumatic in nature or macro-traumatic in nature. A micro traumatic injury occurs as a result of skeletal growth and developmental issues. These injuries require the joint to hyper extend to function. This can occur also as a result of losing posterior teeth, inappropriate replacement of teeth, or the combination of both. All of which again result in chronic hyperextension of the TMJ. Macro trauma results from blows to the face, which can occur in whiplash, motor vehicle accidents, airbag deployment, and etc. These injuries again can remain functional for extended periods of time.
• Stress or stressful times can increase symptoms of a TMJ injury; however they do not cause such an injury.
• Dysfunctional joints cause muscle dysfunction in the muscles associates with the motion of that joint. Dysfunctional muscles do not cause joint injuries.