Hey, it is Dr. Perez here. Let’s talk about TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint) pain.
Acupuncture For Temporomandibular Joint Pain
Maybe some people don’t realize, but acupuncture is pretty useful for jaw pain. If your muscles are sore, I can put some needles in, do the needle technique, smooth the muscles out, and relax them.
Or maybe the joint is inflamed? So the jaw hurts to open, it clicks, or you can’t open your mouth all the way without pain. You could put some needles around there, promote good blood flow, and clear out the inflammation and the excess fluid.
This gives us an opportunity to talk about a broader concept of Chinese medicine, and that’s branch and roots, or branch manifestation and root cause, using TMJ as an example.
The Concept of ‘Branch and Root’ as Applied to TMJ Pain
Why do you have TMJ pain? I have found in my experience that the most common reason (but not the only reason) is you grind your teeth when you sleep at night. So why are you doing that? I have found, again, the most common reason (but not the only reason) is stress during the day.
The saying is “If you treat the branch, but not the root, then possibly the ‘branches’ will just grow back.”
Stop the Root (Stress) and Fix the Branch (TMJ Pain)
It’s not good enough that I get rid of the TMJ symptoms (the branch manifestation) for my patients. I also try to figure out why the problem is happening (the root cause), and try to get it to stop.
In addition to the branch treatment of fixing the symptoms, at Yi Guan you also get the root treatment where if it happens to be stress (as in this case) there are different needles, herbs, and meditation techniques for it.
Tailoring the Treatment in Chinese Medicine
Not everyone who has the same branch will have the same root cause. So again, like a lot of other things in Chinese medicine, treatments end up being tailored to patients and what they’re specifically going through.
If you’d like to know more about your branches and roots with your TMJ pain, or any problem, give us a call today.
Supporting Articles:
The effectiveness of dry needling for patients with orofacial pain associated with temporomandibular dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis, Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy, Jan-Feb 2019
Acupuncture in Temporomandibular Disorder Myofascial Pain Treatment: A Systematic Review, Journal of Oral & Facial Pain and Headache; September 30, 2017
Acupuncture for temporomandibular disorders: a systematic review, Journal of Oral & Facial Pain and Headache, Spring 2010
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