TMJ refers to the tempromandibular joint, the hinge joint that makes up your jaw. When tissues become inflammed, pain and dysfunction can occur. There are several common symptoms that clients come in displaying, such as; headaches, neck pain, popping of the jaw when opening or closing the mouth, earaches, and tinnitus . Psychological stress, clenching of the jaw, grinding of the teeth, dental trauma, and whiplash are some of the most common causes of discomfort. Because CranioSacral therapy has a direct impact on the nervous system and helps decompress the muskuloskeletal system, it can be highly effective in helping find relief for TMJ dysfunction.

*Tina came into the office because she had been experiencing intense headaches and
pain and clicking in her jaw. She spoke of having a highly stressful job and a very
demanding boss. She also remarked that she was often upset with herself because her stress didnʼt end at the workplace. She was irritable and quick to anger at home when interacting with her husband and son. Her goal was to find relief from the pain and to decrease her stress levels.

During Tinaʼs first two sessions she was able bring awareness to how she was
clenching her jaw when under stress. She discovered that when holding her jaw in this way, she was taking short shallow breaths and tensing her entire body around this clenching pattern. These were important discoveries for her, as they became the
foundation for Tina to transform the model of tension she had created that was not
serving her well. Over the next few sessions, Tina found significant relief from the
headaches she had been experiencing and the tightness in her jaw diminished. She
continues to come in on a regular basis as part of her general self care regiment.

*clientʼs name has been changed for confidentiality

Written by Tori Weinstock, LMT, CST