If you are affected by TMJ disorder, confusion may be a part of your life. Some days you may feel normal, but some days are quite tough. One morning you’ll have joy with a discomfort-free jaw, and the next may begin with discomfort and clicking again.
So what exactly is going on?
The truth? Many people are unaware that TMJ symptoms are not always constant. They tend to come and go in phases. This is often referred to as ‘flare-ups.’ By understanding these flare-ups and why they happen, you can better manage the condition. This blog explains it all:
So here is what you need to understand: your jaw joint is in motion constantly. You’re using it while talking, chewing, yawning, and swallowing and even when you aren’t aware of it, like when asleep. Because of this, TMJ is highly sensitive to daily habits, stress, and mechanical strain.
That is also the reason behind the shift of symptoms instead of staying steady. The joint might cope well one day and become overloaded the next.
Now, here is one thing you need to know about flare-ups: they don’t happen randomly. The causes for jaw problems tend to be due to temporary stress placing pressure on the jaw system. The most common triggers of jaw problems include:
Sometimes, even a minor change such as a stressful day or eating solid foods can shift the jaw joint out of its comfort zone and cause discomfort.
Here is where it gets tricky. Just because symptoms fade does not mean the problem is gone.
As the tension decreases in the joint, inflammation subsides and muscle tension releases. This may give you a sensation of being back to normal, but the actual mechanics (the misalignment of the jaw, for example) are still dysfunctional. Therefore, the symptoms that were there previously can often return.
TMJ flare-ups have a predictable pattern:
This cycle then starts all over again.
If you don’t take care of the original problem, the frequency and intensity of flare-ups will continually increase.
Many people put off seeking treatment because they only have flare-ups intermittently. Therefore, they think to themselves, ‘It will go away’ ‘it can’t be that bad.’What many people do not realize is that recurring flare-ups often mean that your jaw is having difficulty functioning normally. The sooner the issue is addressed, the easier it will be for you to avoid future complications or strain.
When you manage flare-ups, you need to consider more than just discomfort. You need to understand what is causing the jaw to be overloaded:
If you do not address any of these issues, the same flare-ups will reappear in various forms.
Your jaw’s mechanical stress causes your TMJ symptoms to fluctuate from day to day.
Dr. Luis identifies the underlying causes of TMJ dysfunction. This includes how the jaw is positioned, the bite’s alignment, and clenching patterns, which are responsible for this variation. Rather than only providing temporary relief from symptoms, Dr. Luis’ method intends to create long-term changes by minimizing the factors that cause the cycle to repeat.
When the underlying cause of TMJ is treated, the daily fluctuations of your jaw symptoms diminish, resulting in long-term stability of the jaw.