3 UNUSUAL CAUSES OF TMJ ISSUES
The jawbone is closely connected to your skull, having a temporomandibular joint disorder or TMJ, can cause several problems. Some are more apparently related than others, and in some cases, you would not even think to put two and two together.
What is TMJ?
Pain in your mandible or jawbone happens when there is a misalignment, for various reasons. Sometimes the symptoms just pop-up for no apparent reason, however, there is always an underlying cause for TMJ. This condition is painful and uncomfortable and can include symptoms such as popping or clicking of the jaw when you eat or open your mouth to yawn, painful earaches or headaches, ringing in the ears, migraines, locking of the jaw, pain of the joints, uneven bite, and many others.
TMJ is not easy to diagnose because many of its symptoms can be attributed to a number of other conditions and can affect other areas of your body which at first glance would seem completely unrelated to a problem with the jawbone.
Some Unusual Causes of TMJ
Many studies conclude that stress or anxiety cause TMJ and while this could be at the heart of some cases, it is not the root cause of the problem. A misalignment usually causes TMJ in the jawbone which is a result of other factors. Some of the most unusual ones are:
| • | Chewing gum – there is ample evidence that continually chewing gum can be a leading cause of TMJ. The repetitive motion can cause the mandible to pop out of place and cause pain. |
| • | Arthritis – the joint that connects the jawbone to the skull is like any other joint, and if you have arthritis, it can also become weak and painful. |
| • | Genetics – some scientific research suggests that TMJ could be hereditary and run in families. |
The good news is that in most cases, TMJ is a temporary disease that eventually goes away with something as simple as a mouthguard. In other cases, additional treatment is needed.
