If you suffer from muscle tension and inflammation, whether it's in the form of TMJ or a tight psoas, acupuncture may be able to help break up that tension.
For those experiencing pain in their Temporomandibular joint, a condition that's better known as TMJ, acupuncture is the best alternative to treating with drugs. Caused by injury, anatomical problems, or simply the result of teeth grinding or clenching your jaw as an emotional response, TMJ can affect more than just the jaw. Symptoms include tension headaches, shoulder/neck pain, ear pain and dizziness.
Acupuncture works because it gets to the root cause of the issue. I focus on helping my patients remove the cause of stress while working on balancing the system and relieving tension through acupuncture.
Similarly, acupuncture can help loosen a tight psoas. The psoas is connected to our limbic system, otherwise known as the reptilian brain, and is therefore deeply connected to emotional health and wellbeing. It's often said that the psoas is where our emotions are stored. When that muscle is worked on, my patients will often encounter a psoas release. It's described as a surfacing of emotions like anxiety or fear, and some have described a strong emotional reaction the day after I've worked on their psoas along with vivid dreams. I also recommend light stretching and meditation to help with the psoas release.
Dr. Ryan Hodge of The Human Garage shares that,"TMJ is a condition that can be caused by a couple different scenarios. I've found in a few cases that TMJ can be related to offset hips, and offset hips can be related to having a tight psoas. So hypothetically if someone with TMJ had their psoas and jaw released through acupuncture, and was able to restore their hips alignment/balance as well, there is an opportunity to get the jaw to move properly and keep the issue from coming back.
Releasing the psoas can also be done for a plethora of reasons. It's always important to have a reason for releasing tight tissues and more importantly have a theory for why that tissue became tight in the first place and a strategy for how to keep it from getting tight again.Â
I've found that adding acupuncture along with other therapies is a phenomenal way to keep your body in good condition. So having doctors like Teresa on your team, who not only use acupuncture to help treat symptoms but also treat the underlying cause of the problem, is invaluable in the healing process."
Of course, treatment varies from person to person and every individual is different. Please don't hesitate to send me a message if you are experiencing TMJ or a tight psoas and we can talk about how acupuncture can help your symptoms.