The Connection Between Chronic Headaches and Your TMJ and How Treatment From Your Local Dentist Can Provide Relief

When your temporomandibular joint (TMJ) becomes strained or inflamed, it can lead to a number of uncomfortable conditions. Chronic headaches are one of the most common symptoms of a temporomandibular joint problem. You may get a headache for many reasons, and a tension headache is one possibility. 

Headaches caused by TMJ issues will be a tension type of headache. The team at Evergreen Dental Wellness in Annandale, Virginia, can help with your TMJ disorder and prevent these types of headaches from occurring.

Why TMJ Problems Cause Tension Headaches

A tension headache caused by a TMJ problem is often characterized as a feeling similar to cramming a hat several sizes smaller onto your head. A ring of pain settles around the head and can even lead to a migraine headache. There are several TMJ-related causes for the surfacing of a tension headache. 

A consistent contraction of muscle tissue can create tension or a feeling of tightness around the face and head. When the fibers in your muscles around a tense TMJ are consistently tight, the result can be reduced blood flow to that area. Your body will respond by sending an excess supply of blood to the area, increasing the blood pressure around the muscle and your head, resulting in a headache. Headaches caused by TMJ issues can often be very frequent and severe in nature and, because of this, can be misdiagnosed as migraine headaches.

Treatment For Your TMJ

Treating your temporomandibular joint can sometimes be a complex process. In some cases, your TMJ disorder can be a result of other oral health problems. For instance, the chronic grinding of your teeth (known as bruxism) can result in TMJ symptoms, including headaches, neck aches, back pain, and more. TMJ disorders can also be the result of having an improper bite. Treating these issues can often cause relief for your TMJ. Dentists at Evergreen Dental Wellness can also prescribe non-surgical TMJ treatments to help with your TMD. This could be in the form of muscle exercises and other solutions. Whatever treatment options are recommended to you should be done using a multidisciplinary approach to resolve even the most chronic TMJ challenges.

We do use the most advanced Electromyogram and TekScan technology to evaluate and find the best treatment options for you including deprogrammer, aqualizer, occlusal bite splint or LVI orthotic appliances.  

Learn More About TMJ Treatment

If you suffer from chronic headaches or other symptoms that you think may be related to a TMJ disorder, please reach out to your local Annandale, Virginia dentist.

The team at Evergreen Dental Wellness would love to help you. Please call 703-215-9630 to schedule an appointment today.

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