TMJ also known as temporomandibular joint is located on the sides of your head and is responsible for opening and closing your mouth. When this joint has a disorder, the condition is simply called TMJ or sometimes TMJ disorder to avoid confusion.
There are many reasons why you could suffer from TMJ and some of these could be as a result of injury to the face, osteoarthritis and bruxism. That said, your posture could be highly responsible and it therefore helps to learn how to improve your posture.
How to Improve Your Posture
One of the most overlooked contributing factors is bad posture. How you sit could also have a lot of effect on your TMJ and bring about jaw and neck pains. Usually the spine has three curves and these are in the neck area which is inwardly curved, the main back area that as you may have noticed is slightly round and the lower back section which is inwardly curved. Poor posture strains your three curves and forces them into unnatural positions. For example, if you spend most of your time hunched over a computer desk, you staring your lower back and force your chin down. This leads to inflammation on the tissues that surround your TMJ bone. Scientists also tell us that a straight back applies unnecessary pressure to the lower back and tires the shoulders and neck, leading to TMJ complications. Good posture according to scientists is slightly reclining your back to a backward position. This position applies minimum pressure on your lower back and also does not strain your neck or thrust your head forward. Bad posture is not just as a result of how you sit but how you sleep, stand and walk as well.
Benefits of Chiropractic Care
TMJ can be complex condition and a chiropractor can be of great help when it comes to treating your TMJ disorder. Chiropractors deal mainly with the musculoskeletal system and this includes muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones. They can therefore come up with good therapy options and solutions that can help address and treat your disorder.
There are two ways in which your chiropractor can benefit you and these are:
- Bone adjustment treatment
- Recommended lifestyle changes
Since a chiropractor’s main area of specialization is bones and muscles, he or she is in the best position to identify where your body is much strained and therefore identify the cause of your TMJ disorder. That means that your chiropractor can evaluate your jaw bones, neck and spinal area to identify any misalignment or jaw lock up. The treatment options vary and this depends on the severity of your condition. Sometimes this condition is as a result of poor decisions and as mentioned above it could be as simple as changing up your posture. A chiropractor is one of the best doctors that can treat your TMJ condition and they can prescribe medication and exercises that can relieve tension from the inflamed areas.
The question of how to improve your posture has been widely discussed. There are many things you can do and these include acquiring the right sitting position, having a good quality mattress, wearing comfortable shoes and more.
