Releasing TMJ Trigger Points

Trigger points in the muscles that control TMJ joint can cause pain in the mouth, jaw and teeth. TMJ stands for the Temporomandibular joint. This joint is the 'hinge' of the jaw joint – a very complex joint that has characteristics unlike any other joint in the body.

What makes the jaw joint unique is that it's part of a pair. You have two joints to hinge the jaw – one on the right and one on the left. They need to move and work in perfect unison for you to chew properly.

This means a lot of subtle movement in the jaw muscles – as well as a lot of strength required for chewing. Because it is so mobile, this jaw joint requires several muscles to operate it – the pterygoids (lateral and medial) the temporalis, and the masseter. And any or all of these muscles can get trigger points.

The strange thing about trigger points in the TMJ joint muscles is that they refer pain to unexpected places. Sometimes they can refer pain into your mouth and teeth – feeling exactly like tooth ache. At other times, tmj trigger points can cause pain in the tongue and jaw joint.

People have even had extensive dental work done – only to find out that it was trigger points that were causing their tooth pain.

How do you know whether trigger points or a problem in your jaw joint itself that is causing your pain? The simple solution is this – if you press on an active trigger point, you can recreate the pain that it causes.

So – how do you know where the trigger points may be? The answer to this isn't quite as simple. This is because trigger points (very small areas of spasm within the muscle) can refer pain to places outside of that muscle.

Fortunately, the area that each trigger point refers pain is constant – that is, each trigger point will refer pain to the same area – even for different people. These pain referral areas have been well researched and documented.

Check out this free trigger point tool (http://triggerpointmaps.com/ ) to find out where the tmj trigger points are. Look for the lateral and medial pterygoid muscles, the temporalis and the masseter.

Click here for more information on how to treat tmj trigger points yourself