There are a variety of reasons for TMJ problems. For most people it is directly related to tight muscles, especially the three “major muscles of mastication” (chewing muscles): the masseter and temporalis muscles outside the teeth and a muscle called the medial pterygoid on the inside.
The bigger question is why do people have these super-tight muscles? There are a variety of reasons for this. A common one includes what we call forward-head posture where, when looking at someone from the side, the ear is forward of the shoulder, a point on a shirt where the shoulder seam usually is found.
But when this forward head posture occurs there is another why: why is the head forward? Again, there can be several reasons for this such as an injury of the cervical spine (like in a car accident or a fall); repetitive use issues like prolonged computer use or studying (we usually read books with the head bent forward); our shoulders being uneven (one higher than the other, which puts uneven muscle tension into the neck); and our pelvis being in a chronically flexed position.
Another fairly common reason for TMJ issues is a bone length difference in the legs or a bone size difference in the pelvis (one side larger than the other). These size differences put our body into a tilt. Our neck and jaw muscles tighten up as our brain tries to make our eyes level again.
All of the problems mentioned above can lead to symptoms other than TMJ disorders depending on other elements of an individual’s situation, but most people who have TMJ problems have one or more of the elements mentioned.
The bigger question is why do people have these super-tight muscles? There are a variety of reasons for this. A common one includes what we call forward-head posture where, when looking at someone from the side, the ear is forward of the shoulder, a point on a shirt where the shoulder seam usually is found.
But when this forward head posture occurs there is another why: why is the head forward? Again, there can be several reasons for this such as an injury of the cervical spine (like in a car accident or a fall); repetitive use issues like prolonged computer use or studying (we usually read books with the head bent forward); our shoulders being uneven (one higher than the other, which puts uneven muscle tension into the neck); and our pelvis being in a chronically flexed position.
Another fairly common reason for TMJ issues is a bone length difference in the legs or a bone size difference in the pelvis (one side larger than the other). These size differences put our body into a tilt. Our neck and jaw muscles tighten up as our brain tries to make our eyes level again.
All of the problems mentioned above can lead to symptoms other than TMJ disorders depending on other elements of an individual’s situation, but most people who have TMJ problems have one or more of the elements mentioned.