San Francisco and Marin CA
Headaches remain a little bit of a mystery and can be difficult to pinpoint their cause. But one thing is for sure, nothing can disrupt your day or affect your mood quicker than a nagging headache. Unfortunately, most people grab over-the-counter pain medication hoping for relief from their head pain. While this can be a good solution for the short-term, meaning those every-once-in-a-while headaches, you shouldn’t depend on medication daily or more than once or twice a week, at the most. And some doctors agree that even that’s too often. Today on the blog, our TMJ dentists in Marin at Glen Park Dental share a natural remedy for headaches and how you can get out of pain without taking pain medication.
What’s causing your headaches?
One common and often overlooked cause of headaches is TMJ disorder or TMJ. This disorder affects women more than men and can lead to tender jaw joints, popping or clicking sounds in the jaw, chronic jaw pain, toothaches, and even headaches. The connection between TMJ and headaches is due to the close proximity of the nerves that serve the upper and lower jaw, and that connect around the head and into the spinal column. Therefore, when these nerves are irritated, inflamed, and lack sufficient blood flow, pain can radiate throughout the entire nerve and even lead to referred pain down the spinal column. And chronic headaches are one of the most common symptoms of TMJ disorder.
How is TMJ disorder diagnosed?
Our dentists can diagnose TMJ disorder through a thorough examination, along with asking you questions about your symptoms. But we also use a technology called a T-scan, which is a diagnostic tool that produces computerized images of your bite, including precise pressure points that could cause you pain. We also use a BioPak system, which combines electromyography and joint sonography to determine your jaw alignment and deficiencies. This data, combined with our other findings, will help us determine if you have TMJ disorder and develop an effective treatment plan.
How does the dentist get rid of headaches related to TMJ disorder?
Before attempting to treat your headaches, you should undergo a TMJ disorder evaluation to determine the source of your pain. If you have dental pain, chronic headaches, and jaw pain when opening and closing your mouth or chewing, you could have TMJ disorder. You should speak with a TMJ dentist in Marin, like the ones on staff at Glen Park Dental, if you experience any of these symptoms. If the dentist determines that you have TMJ disorder, one of the first steps in treatment is to help relax your jaw muscles. This can be done by a series of treatments, starting with the patient wearing a custom oral orthotic that slightly repositions the jaw into proper alignment, relieving tension in the jaw joints, and surrounding soft tissue.
Get rid of headaches without medication in Marin and the Bay Area, California
If you’re tired of searching for headache relief only for your headaches to reappear all too often, then consider scheduling a TMJ evaluation in Marin at Glen Park Dental. We can help get you out of pain so that you can live your best life! Learn more or schedule your consultation by calling (415) 585-1500.
