Understanding the Active Release Technique
Active Release Technique (ART) is a soft tissue treatment that targets complications from overused muscles. Essentially, ART is a formalized process to help encourage soft tissue healing.
The Link Between Tension Headaches and Jaw Pain
Your jaw is the most mobile joint in the skull, and it’s quite flexible and reliable, assisting with both speech and eating. The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) combines both hingelike and sliding motions to accomplish its roles.
The TMJ is part of the complex anatomy of your face, a network of bones, muscles, and nerves that interact closely. When things go wrong with the TMJ, you may suffer from tension headaches as a result.
The team at Active Care Chiropractic & Rehabilitation in Lafayette Hill, the Main Line, East Falls, Elkins Park, Manayunk and Hatfield, Pennsylvania, consists of headache and migraine specialists, and we know when to look at the TMJ when you’re suffering from unexplained tension headaches.
How the jaw can cause headaches
While the TMJ has disorders all its own, it can also be the source of headache pain. Some of the connections include:
- Muscle strain: from misalignment of the TMJ itself
- Nerve pain and inflammation
- Referred pain: when pain is felt somewhere other than the active nerve irritation
- Bruxism: chronic teeth grinding during the day or overnight
The jaw can be the source of tension headaches even if the TMJ itself displays no symptoms.
Recognizing the link
Tension headaches are the most common form of headache and they have a wide range of originating causes. Connecting headaches with jaw problems can sometimes be tricky. Be on the lookout for these signs:
- Headaches upon waking, a possible symptom of overnight bruxism
- Pain originating along the jawline, near the ears, or in the temples
- Headaches that occur with jaw clicking or locking
- Worn, flat teeth, a sign of chronic bruxism
- Headaches that get worse when moving your jaw
- Symptoms of dental occlusion
When you have jaw pain and headaches simultaneously, there may be a connection, even if they seem like separate problems.
Treating jaw problems that cause tension headaches
While you may not think of the jaw as a joint that can be treated through chiropractic care, gentle adjustments of the jaw and upper spine can sometimes have dramatic results at relieving headache and jaw pain.
We also offer targeted soft tissue therapy including massage and trigger point therapy to release tight muscles that could contribute to TMJ alignment problems. Ergonomic and postural counseling may help you avoid further TMJ and tension headache problems in the future.
Learn more by visiting the team at Active Care Chiropractic & Rehabilitation led by Zachary Dillow, DC. Contact our nearest location online or by phone today.
You Might Also Enjoy...
Struggling to Bend Over from Tight Hip Flexors?
A group of front leg muscles at the hips, the hip flexors provide certain leg motions at the hip. When you have trouble bending over at the waist, tight hip flexor muscles might be the problem.
Why Your Back Cracks Every Time You Get Out of Bed
The cracking you hear when you get out of bed isn’t a sign of your body self-destructing, at least not when the noises happen painlessly. There's not usually anything significant occurring and there’s probably nothing to be concerned about.
Assisted Stretching vs. Physical Therapy
Assisted stretching is a specialization within the physical therapy and rehabilitation umbrella. While assisted stretching can use apparatus like bands or towels, we use it to describe proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, or PNF.
Migraines That Start in Your Neck — What Chiropractic Can Do
Every migraine patient has details about their condition that are unique. It’s possible, for a number of reasons, for it to seem like your migraines start in the neck. As many as 80% of migraine patients have episodes that start with neck pain.
Do You Still Need an Exam If You Feel Fine After an Auto Accident?
Visiting a chiropractor after an auto accident, even when you feel fine, is a proactive health step that can minimize the effects of late-emerging injuries to your musculoskeletal system, like whiplash, soft tissue damage, and spinal misalignment.