Article by Anna Kania
Posture is the position in which we hold our bodies while standing, sitting, or lying down. What does it have to do with jaw pain?
Good posture is the correct alignment of body parts supported by the right amount of muscle tension against gravity.
Without posture and the muscles that control it, we would simply fall to the ground!
Good posture helps us stand, walk, sit, and lie in positions that place the least strain on supporting muscles and ligaments during movement and weight-bearing activities.
Poor posture can present in several ways:
What does proper posture look like?
Use the “wall test” to find out:
The body functions optimally when all of the joints, bones, and muscles are properly aligned.
If you routinely slouch in your chair or spend your days hunched over a computer, you are retraining your body to hold itself in a less-than-ideal position. Poor posture has a domino effect, as your misaligned spine can cause your head to protrude forward.
A forward head posture may strain the neck and jaw muscles causing jaw pain, fatigue and popping in your jaw, as well as difficulty opening your mouth, headaches and neck pain.
Forward head posture actually places the condyles of the jaw deeper into their sockets, which may be a source of pain.
Slouched sitting from the pelvis up results in forward head posture as a way for the body to counter balance itself. This posture also creates altered length-tension relationships of the muscles attached to the jaw and can trigger hypertonous (increased tone or contraction) activity of some of those muscles that compress the jaw
Imbalanced muscle forces around the jaw, including the suprahyoid muscles under the chin on the front side of the neck that open the jaw, are usually weaker compared to the masseter and temporalis, which close the jaw.
The correction of this muscle imbalance to restore proper length tension relationships has a great effect on reducing pain, clicking, and deviation of jaw movement.
For TMJ (temporomandibular joint - aka jaw) disorder caused by poor posture, you must first start standing and sitting straight so that the rest of your body will align properly, including your jaw.
Correct standing posture involves keeping your shoulders back and your chest forward, making sure that you lengthen your spine and do not put your chin forward.
To sit properly, hold your upper body as you would in the correct standing position, making sure that your buttocks touch the back of your chair and that your weight is distributed evenly on the hips.
Bad posture can also be caused by foot problems, including flat arches or hyperpronation, as well as wearing high heels or other types of non-supportive footwear. Adding custom arch supports or insoles to your shoes can help you stand straighter, and choosing more comfortable and supportive footwear will also benefit your posture.
Many people have found physical therapy, professional massage, Pilates, and yoga to be helpful in releasing muscle tension and retraining the spine to stay in alignment.
Sometimes, to help reposition your jaw, your dentist can create an oral splint that will hold your bite in the ideal position to reduce stress on the surrounding muscles.
Often, the correction of forward head/rounded shoulders posture will normalize the head, neck, and facial musculature, and eliminate the jaw pain.
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