“TMJ” stands for temporal mandibular joint or the jaw joint. Sometimes people with this problem hear a click when they open and close their mouth. Sometimes they grind their teeth at night. Other times they have a “malocclusion” which means the bite is slightly off. Headaches, neck, shoulder and back pain may be related to TMJ problems.
Unresolved TMJ problems can lead to misalignments in the hips, shoulders and knees.
Long-standing low back problems can eventually affect the TMJ area as well.
Dr. Books works closely with many dentists who send her their TMJ patients. Imbalances in the jaw muscles can pull the skull bones out of their normal position and cause pressure on the central nervous system. Dr. Books utilizes gentle cranial therapies including Books Neural Therapy ™ and other non-force techniques to realign the TMJ to its proper relationships with other balancing mechanisms in the body structure.
“Over the past years, my relationship with Dr. Books has been as a patient myself and as a referring doctor. I can attest firsthand to her ability and to the success of her treatment. I have referred multiple patients to her, primarily for their TMJ dysfunction, which I found could be related to a dyslexia pattern or misalignments. I have been very impressed with the improvements that my patients have undergone with her care. Her treatments help my patients with their TMJ making my job considerably easier in making their dental corrections.”
D.R., DDS, (orthodontist)
Dallas, Texas
“Our 15 year old daughter was scheduled for TMJ surgery when we met Dr. Books. Dr. Books begged us to postpone the surgery. That daughter is now 30, doing great and never did have the surgery. The funny thing is, we originally took her in for knee problems. Dr. Books explained how one could affect the other.”
CC
The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research of the National Institute of Health indicates that 10.8 million people in the USA suffer from TMJ problems at any given time.
The following are common symptoms of TMJ:
- Facial pain
- Pain in the jaw joint and surrounding tissues, including the ear
- Jaw locking open or closed
- Limited opening or inability to open the mouth comfortably
- Headaches
- Bite that feels uncomfortable, “off,” or as if it is continually changing
- Neck, shoulder and back pain
- Swelling on the side of the face