bowen and the tmj
Bowen Therapy for TMJ Pain
Do you suffer from headaches? Have a sore neck? Painful or clunky jaw? Maybe your partner tells you that you’re grinding your teeth in your sleep. Or that last car ride as a passenger left you feeling nauseous. These can all be indicators that your TMJ is misaligned or tight.
The TMJ or Temporomandibular joint is located in front of the ear and is where the lower jaw connects to the skull. The hinge joint is made up of two bones – the temporal bone of the skull and the lower jaw bone (the mandible). There are also very strong ligaments which attach to the TMJ and holds the jaw together, stopping it from dislocating whilst at the same time allowing us to chew our food.
Running through and around the TMJ is also connective tissue called fascia. Fascia is an intricately woven connective tissue that runs throughout our bodies and holds us together. It runs through our muscles, ligaments, tendons, even deep into our internal organs. We have a long band of fascia that runs through the TMJ and actually starts at the top of our feet, running all the way up the front of our bodies, through the TMJ to the top of our heads.
Bowen Therapy is very gentle and effective for treating TMJ pain and the associated symptoms that arise from a tight or imbalanced jaw joint.
The Bowen moves focus on the upper back, neck and the TMJ. There is no crunching or deep pressure needed as the Bowen works on particular nerve receptors that respond to light touch. Indeed, too much pressure would be of no benefit. Each Bowen move creates a wave of energy that travels along the strands of fascia creating tingling or warmth when the Bowen comes to an area that is tight or blocked.
I have treated many clients with TMJ issues and in fact is one of my favourite Bowen procedures to use. The work also involves lymphatic drainage down the neck which all ties in with the TMJ.
Wanting to know more or ready to make an appointment? I am contactable via phone call or SMS, Facebook messaging or my email.
See you on the Bowen table!
