A 27 year old man came to our clinic struggling with chronic jaw pain. He had been diagnosed with TMJ and was taking pain medicine. The medicine managed the condition but was not resolving it. This jaw pain acupuncture case study describes how we resolved his jaw pain and enabled him to ween off pain medicine for good.
Background
About 12 percent of Americans are currently affected by TMJ. That’s 35 million people. Only half of those seek treatment. The condition causes pain in the jaw and face, making it difficult to eat, talk and even yawn. Surgery is invasive and expensive, with a long recovery time. Alternative solutions are needed, and acupuncture provides one of the best.
Jaw Pain Acupuncture Case Study
Our 27 year old had jaw pain since his early teens. At first he managed without pain medicine. Over time the condition got worse, to where he required pain medicine daily. His jaw clicked every time he opened his mouth wide enough to eat, was sore after eating, and ached during the night. In addition, his jaw pain increased when he was under stress.
Acupuncture has many strategies for treating jaw pain and TMJ. We use local points near the jaw to increase qi and blood circulation, allowing the body to nourish the jaw. We also utilize points on the limbs that positively impact the jaw and face, increasing blood circulation and reducing inflammation, swelling and pain.
A sample of acupuncture points used in this jaw pain acupuncture case study included: ST7, ST6, Li4, Li11, GB40 and LV3. Some of these are local and others distal. All are used to heal the jaw.
TMJ Results
After just one treatment, our patient felt 20% less pain in his jaw. Progress continued at a steady rate. By the end of his seventh treatment he was 95% better. He returned for a follow up treatment a month later. His jaw was pain-free.
Jaw pain can have many different root causes. Some are structural. Other people hold stress in their jaw. No matter the cause, acupuncture identifies the root and treats accordingly. The patient in this jaw pain acupuncture case study had injured his jaw as a teen. So there was structural damage. The pain intensified when he was under stress. So there was an emotional component as well. This is a common pattern. Treatment, therefore, focused on healing the injury and simultaneously helping him manage stress.
How Acupuncture Manages Stress
Unlike antidepressants, acupuncture manages stress naturally, with no side effects. Chinese medicine recognizes that outside stressors cause our qi energy to stagnate. When our qi flows smoothly and unimpaired, we feel happy and at peace. Stagnant qi causes us to feel agitated, stressed and in extreme cases, depressed.
It is the liver’s job to keep our qi flowing smoothly throughout our bodies. A liver out-of-balance is unable to keep this flow going. The result is that our body holds on to stress. Put another way, stress lodges in our bodies. And similar to the way bacteria is drawn to sugar which results in cavities, stress is drawn to old injuries in the body resulting in pain.
An old injury is the perfect seeding ground for stress to lodge and cause trouble. This was the case for our patient in this jaw pain acupuncture case study. That’s why his jaw pain increased when he was under stress. And that is why his acupuncture treatment included points to strengthen his liver function, enabling better qi circulation, even when under the pressures of stress. The result was that our patient (1) felt less stress in general, and (2) had less jaw pain when under stress.
In addition to reducing stress, acupuncture promoted healing in the jaw injury itself. The body has amazing healing potential when given a little support. Often the simple act of needling around an old injury will increase blood circulation and prompt the body to focus attention on the old injury. The result is miraculous healing.
This two-pronged treatment plan worked like a charm for our patient. It can for for you as well.
Next Steps
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What our Clients are Saying
My jaw was broken 20 years ago and never healed right. I had constant pain all the time. Finally tried acupuncture for a lark. Ended up getting rid of 90% of the pain. Couldn’t believe it. I highly recommend Raleigh Acupuncture Associates.
My sister recommended Raleigh Acupuncture for my TMJ, after no luck with other types of treatment. I was surprised and pleased to see that acupuncture helped. My jaw pain is gone after 6 treatments. No pain at all. I recommend this practice to anyone with TMJ.