The temporomandibular joints (TMJs) are among the most complex joints in your body. By complex, we mean they coordinate essential muscle actions like chewing, talking, yawning, and swallowing. Since these joints are heavily sought after to perform various activities, dysfunctions are likely to arise.

According to a study, about 23% of Australians experience TMJ dysfunctions. This entails many complications among affected patients, exacerbated by poor posture. Let’s find out how.

TMJ Pain and Its Connection to Posture

TMJ disorders, or TMD, affect the jaw joint and muscles responsible for jaw movement. Patients with this condition may suffer from jaw stiffness or pain that extends to the ear, face, and neck. But what’s its connection with bad posture?

Your posture matters to maintaining jaw health. Poor posture, such as holding your head forward, puts tension in the neck and jaw. This additional strain can make your TMJ condition worse.

That’s why having a trusted team of professionals like MVMT Sports Chiropractic is key to fixing poor posture. We provide modern chiropractic adjustments and posture correction exercises to ensure lasting pain relief. 

The Role of Posture in TMJ Health

There is a direct anatomical relationship between posture and the TMJ. This has something to do with the atlas vertebra, the uppermost bone in the neck. If the atlas is often misaligned due to poor posture, the tension in facial and jaw muscles increases, greatly affecting the TMJ condition.

Poor posture may contribute to TMJ pain in ways like:

  • Increased Muscle Tension—Your misaligned cervical spine strains your jaw, neck, and facial muscles, often resulting in TMJ pain and discomfort.
  • Altered Jaw Mechanic—When slouching and positioning your head forward, your head and spine are out of alignment. This misalignment extends to the jaw, changing how your mouth opens or closes, which can be painful.
  • Restricted Blood Flow: Prolonged improper posture compresses the blood vessels or, worse, the nerves in your neck and jaw regions. This may result in jaw numbness or stiffness.

Common Postural Mistakes Leading to TMJ Pain

You must be aware of specific postural habits that are detrimental to TMJ pain. Below are some examples:

Forward Head Posture

The head is forward, with the chin also slightly forward. This posture is often prolonged when using phones or computers. With the head leaning out, the strain increases in the jaw and neck, potentially making TMJ discomforting.


Slouching

Slouching involves rounding the shoulder, arching the back, and caving the chest in. It is often common in sedentary people. This posture changes the natural alignment of the head and spine, affecting jaw positioning and likely worsening TMD.

                 Source: wetcake / Getty Images

Correcting Posture to Alleviate TMJ Pain

We offer effective, practical ways to improve posture. Here are some practical tips to help you get started:

1. Maintain a Neutral Head Position

To do this, keep your ears aligned with your shoulders when walking or sitting. Avoid moving your head forward, especially when texting or doing other tasks. Keep on practising this to improve posture.

2. Make Ergonomic Adjustments

You need to ergonomically adjust how you sit, work, or do other daily routines. For starters, you can use a chair that has good lumbar support while adjusting your computer screen to eye level. Doing these ensures an improved posture.

3. Strengthen Your Core

Incorporate easy-to-do exercise routines like planks and bridges to strengthen your core. This is essential for optimally supporting your entire body, including your neck and head.

4. Stretch Regularly

Tight muscles may contribute to poor posture. That’s why being physically active is equally important to maintaining good posture. You can focus on stretching your neck, shoulder and back. 

5. Specialised Routines

But if stretching is not enough, we’ve developed specialised exercises tailored for posture correction to relieve TMJ pain. These include:

  • Jaw Release Exercise involves gentle jaw movements tailored to relax muscles and restore joint function. We recommend booking an appointment and speaking with our experienced chiropractors for specific, personalised techniques.
  • Postural Strengthening: Try exercises focusing on your lower and upper back to ensure good posture. These exercises help you maintain a neutral spine and relaxed shoulders, supporting neck and jaw alignment.
  • Cervical Spine Mobilisation: Exercises to improve neck movement are crucial to avoiding forward head posture, contributing to TMJ pain. Our experienced chiropractors specialise in this field, ensuring pain-free and improved cervical spine mobility.
  • Shoulder Strengthening: Rotations, shrugs, and rows can strengthen your shoulders. Strengthening the muscles in these areas is crucial for stabilising your shoulder and neck, which may help improve posture and prevent straining your TMJ.
  • Myofascial Release Techniques: Myofascia, the muscles and fascia (connective tissues) surrounding your body, are crucial to posture. Relaxing the myofascial helps you develop proper posture and smooth motions of jaw joints and muscles. At MVMT Sports Chiropractic, we frequently perform fascial manipulation to relieve tight muscles and restore bodily functions.

Comprehensive TMJ Treatment at MVMT Sports Chiro

TMJ disorders can be painful and, depending on the extent of discomfort, disrupt your daily activities. At MVMT Sports Chiropractic, we develop a holistic approach to ensure treating your TMJ conditions proactively. Our range of TMJ treatments include:

Chiropractic Adjustments

It includes precise techniques to restore proper alignment of your jaw joint, muscles, and surrounding areas. These adjustments may ease jaw pain and muscle tension and improve jaw function.

Manual Therapy

This approach addresses soft tissue restrictions to improve joint mobility. MVMT Sports Chiropractic employs dry needling, high-level laser technology, and fascial manipulation. Previous patients reported improved TMJ conditions after manual therapies and chiropractic adjustments.

Patient Education

Patient education is key to the long-term management of TMJ symptoms. We provide personalised advice on lifestyle modifications to correct posture and make ergonomic adjustments. Additionally, you must understand stress management and proper jaw care to support your healing process. Most patients found this most helpful in ensuring swift post-injury recovery.

Ergonomic Recommendations

TMJ symptoms may worsen with poor posture and bad habits. Below are some ergonomic tips from MVMT Sports Chiro’s specialists to ensure proper posture and minimise TMJ pain.

Proper Workspace Setup

Finding a chair with lumbar support is important in an in-office or at-home setup. Your chair must be adjustable so your feet are flat on the floor and your knees are at a 90-degree angle. Then, place your keyboard closer to you or adjust the screen to eye level to ensure an ergonomic workspace.

Posture Awareness

The initial step is to keep your shoulders relaxed. Next, maintain a neutral posture by aligning your head, shoulders, and hips. The last step is to keep your head upright without tilting it forward or backward. 

Ergonomic Habits

Even during the most hectic work conditions, taking a break after 30-60 minutes is essential. Stretch your shoulder and neck to relieve tension and ease the TMJ. While working, you can also practise deep breathing to limit jaw clenching or avoid chewing gum to minimise TMJ pain.

Ergonomic Accessories

You can start adding minimal ergonomic accessories to your workstation like a mouse, keyboard, desk mats and neck pillow. Using an ergonomic neck pillow, be it for work or slumber, helps maintain a neutral head position, which is crucial to maintaining TMJ health.

Lifestyle Modifications to Support TMJ Health

TMJ disorders, with the pain and discomfort it brings, could worsen if left unnoticed or untreated. Hence, lifestyle modifications are crucial to managing jaw joint health. These are some holistic changes that MVMT Sports Chiropractic recommend to support TMJ health:

Improve Posture

Ensuring mindful posture, an ergonomic workspace, and habits that help you avoid slouching or hunching are crucial to preventing the complications that poor posture brings, reducing aches, and boosting self-confidence.

Manage Stress

Exploring relaxation techniques like deep breathing, meditation, and yoga can provide peaceful thinking and reduce stress levels. Reducing stress often eases unconscious jaw clenching and grinding. A relaxed body also encourages good posture, which is essential to maintaining TMJ health.

Balanced Diet

Vitamin deficiencies often worsen TMJ conditions. Consuming a holistic diet and staying hydrated are vital to maintaining healthy joints and muscles. These not only contribute to TMJ health but also improve overall mood and well-being.

Regular Exercise 

Engaging in low-impact exercises like swimming, cycling, and walking often strengthens your core and improves blood circulation. These benefits are crucial to maintaining proper posture and contributing to stable support and function of the jaw, neck, and head. 

Regular Check-Ups

Routine dental check-ups help you monitor your oral health. Beyond that, it’s best to consider chiropractic care to correct posture and fix cervical spine issues to ensure a well-rounded jaw function and health. 

When to Consult MVMT Sports Chiro for TMJ Issues

Poor posture is likely to affect or worsen your TMJ condition. Look for symptoms such as stiff jaw movements or persistent pain reaching the jaw, ear, and head. When you have these symptoms, you must seek timely expert care to prevent any long-term damage.

Your Next Steps to TMJ Relief

Proper posture offers myriad benefits to the jaw joints, including reduced strain, improved function, and increased range of motion. Improving posture does not only provide TMJ relief. It also reduces the chance of shoulder and back pain and enhances mood and self-confidence.

At MVMT Sports Chiropractic, we provide comprehensive evaluation to correct posture and customise treatment plans tailored to your needs. We have the expertise and advanced machinery to guide you to lasting TMJ pain relief.

Call us at 0421 151 778 or make a direct booking with us today for an initial consultation.