Do you suffer from headaches or earaches? Do you have a stiff neck and upper back? What about on-going stomach issues, anxiety or depression? Dissimilar as all these issues might sound, the root cause may be your temporomandibular joint, or TMJ. Known as “the hidden imposter” for the way it mimics other syndromes, TMJ disorder is not only very common, it’s also often misdiagnosed. The TMJ is the hinge where the jawbone connects to the skull. Factors that can cause TMJ issues include misalignment of the jaw or teeth; physical trauma, such as whiplash or dental work; degenerative diseases; or, most commonly, tension resulting in teeth clenching or grinding. While actual joint pain may or may not occur, typically symptoms manifest elsewhere in the body and include migraines, earaches or tinnitus (ringing in the ears), hip and pelvic pain and muscle soreness in the upper body. Because of these diverse symptoms, correct diagnosis is often overlooked while treatment doesn’t deal with the underlying problem.

Dr. Brigitte Tetrault, Courtenay Healing Centre, CourtenayHealing.ca