STEPHANIE SKOPEK DDS

TMJ Trigger Point Therapy in North Barrington, IL

Has it been yet another week of grinding your teeth and clenching your jaw? Most Americans are stressed these days, and unfortunately, their jaws are taking the brunt of it. If you are dealing with jaw pain due to a TMJ disorder you may feel like simple pain relievers just aren’t helping anymore. If TMJ disorder has you grabbing your jaw in pain, our dentist Dr. Stephanie Skopek and her team here in North Barrington, IL, offer trigger point therapy to ease jaw pain and tension.

What are the signs of a TMJ disorder?

We all have a TMJ (temporomandibular joint). These joints connect our jaws to our skull and facilitate all mouth movements, so you’d definitely say these joints are pretty important; however, millions of Americans (particularly women) deal with this painful disorder that causes,

  • Jaw tenderness and pain
  • Pain that’s exacerbated by chewing, talking or any extreme mouth movements
  • Ear pain and headaches
  • Neck pain and tension
  • Clicking or popping in the jaws when opening and closing them
  • Facial pain
     

What causes TMJ disorder?

There are a few reasons you may be prone to TMJ disorder (TMD). Sometimes an injury to the jaw or arthritis can lead to TMD; however, imbalances of the TMJ muscles due to teeth clenching and grinding are often to blame. The good news is that if you’re dealing with TMD, our trigger point massage therapy could be effective for alleviating pain when pain relievers and other options just aren’t working for you.

TMJ Therapy | Dentist in Barrington, IL | Stephanie Skopek DDS

What is TMJ trigger point massage?

Trigger points are knots within muscles that make them hypersensitive and incredibly painful. You can get trigger points just about anywhere on the body including around the TMJ. Teeth grinding and jaw clenching can overwork the muscles, which can lead to pain, inflammation and even the development of trigger points.

Fortunately, trigger point massage therapy works in the same way that manual therapy does: it boosts blood flow to the area to promote healing, reduce inflammation and restore balance and normal function back into the muscles of the jaw to make chewing and speaking easier.

By simply massaging and applying the appropriate amount of pressure to these trigger points, we can break up these knots within the muscles to provide you with the relief you need. We can also show you a variety of TMJ-related exercises that can help keep the jaws moving and functioning properly and comfortably.

If you are dealing with the pain of a TMJ disorder and home care isn’t enough, Dr. Skopek and her team here in North Barrington, IL, can provide you with the relief you’re looking for. To learn more about TMJ trigger point therapy, call us at (847) 796-3199!

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