A 46-year-old man came to our clinic complaining of constant jaw pain. He had been diagnosed with TMJ the previous year, but none of the doctor’s solutions had helped. This TMJ case review describes how acupuncture relieved his jaw pain and freed him from the need for constant pain medications.
What Is TMJ?
The Mayo Clinic explains,
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) acts like a sliding hinge, connecting your jawbone to your skull. You have one joint on each side of your jaw. TMJ disorders — a type of temporomandibular disorder or TMD — can cause pain in your jaw joint and in the muscles that control jaw movement.
Acupuncture and TMJ
Acupuncture treats TMJ and other jaw disorders in three specific ways. First, we heal the temporomandibular joint. When an acupuncturist inserts needles into a damaged joint, it promotes Qi and blood circulation. In addition, the needles reduce inflammation, allowing for deep, internal healing.
Secondly, the TMJ acupuncture treatment opens blocked channels in and around the joint, allowing Qi energy to flow again. Stuck Qi most often causes pain in the body. Pain naturally eases when stagnant Qi starts moving again. For TMJ, we target the Stomach channel, as that pathway runs directly through the temporomandibular joint.
The third way acupuncture addresses TMJ is to release the tight muscles surrounding the joint. Tense muscles are a common side effect of joint dysfunction, as the surrounding muscles work overtime taking up the slack of the injured joint. However, no matter how well you treat an injured joint, it will never fully heal if the surrounding muscles remain strained.
TMJ Case Review
Our patient in this TMJ case review had a constant, dull, throbbing pain on both sides of his jaw that was worse after eating. Pain medications temporarily relieved him, but he tried not to use them. Finally, his doctor told him that the root of his TMJ was a combination of arthritis and wear and tear and that there were no good treatment options.
He was referred to our clinic by his cousin, who we successfully treated for jaw pain. We told him what we tell all new patients – come in once a week for four weeks and then evaluate. If we’re not making any progress, we’ll stop treatment. Happily, over 90 percent of our patients find that acupuncture helps, as in this TMJ case review.
Acupuncture Treatment for TMJ
As mentioned above, our treatment works on three levels simultaneously. First, to heal the jaw itself, we selected acupoint ST7. This point, located on the jaw in front of the ear, works wonders for people with jaw dysfunction, including a tight jaw from clenching at night. Then, to unblock the Stomach channel, we needled ST6 and ST8, located below and above the jaw.
We also included acupoints LV3 and LI4 to increase Qi circulation in the face. LV3 is located on the top of the foot, while LI4 is on the hand. These two points work in combination to resolve Qi stagnation. ST6 worked double duty, helping to release the tight masseter muscle in the jaw. That’s the muscle powering the jaw when chewing.
TMJ Treatment Results
Our patient in this TMJ case review felt relief after his first session. He reported a 20 percent reduction in pain, which lasted for three days. The results startled him, as nothing had ever given him that much relief. We explained that getting a good result after one treatment indicated a good prognosis.
Sure enough, he got 50 percent relief after the second session. He continued improving with each treatment until his jaw was pain-free following the sixth visit. A six-month follow-up revealed the pain never returned. His jaw was healed – naturally and without medications or surgery.
The results in this TMJ case review are consistent with most of our jaw pain cases. Acupuncture restores normal jaw function and alleviates pain quickly and efficiently. The exception is when there is structural damage to the jaw requiring surgery. Then, patients will come for acupuncture to help them manage the pain until they can get the necessary surgical procedure. Sometimes more invasive Western medical intervention is required, in which case acupuncture serves as an effective natural analgesic.
Next Steps
Try acupuncture if you are struggling with TMJ or any jaw dysfunction. Treatments are safe – all needles are sterile, single-use, and hair-thin. And there are no adverse side effects.
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Learn More About Our TMJ Treatment (Video).
Learn about all the conditions we treat.
Additional Resources
First TMJ Acupuncture Research Study.
Second TMJ Acupuncture Research Study.
Focus Keyphrase: TMJ Case Review
Photo by Kevin Bidwell: https://www.pexels.com/photo/bald-man-with-a-serious-facial-expression-2380794/
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.
