What is it? TMJ is the actual joint. It's full name is the Temporomandibular Joint. Add the "D" on the end for Dysfunction. TMJD should be diagnosed by your doctor. There can be structural and or soft tissue causes for the dysfunction. As a Licensed Massage Therapist, my job is to address soft tissue.
There are major muscles of the jaw that directly effect it. When they are tight or out of balance can contribute to jaw pain, headaches, feeling like your ear is plugged, inability to chew solid food and loss of sleep. There are also other muscles that have no impact on the jaw, that can become engaged because of the long term pain. I tend to call them "holding patterns". Those stressors can cause headaches, tightness in the neck, throat and shoulders. Again, these other muscles don't impact the jaw but they do impact how you feel.
Treatment for TMJD includes specific Myofascial and other Medical Massage Techniques to address both the TMJ muscles and those contributing to holding patterns.
