TMJ Blogs

The Fascial Web: Connecting Hands, Shoulders, and Neck

Connective tissue, scientifically known as fascia, creates a continuous structural envelope that wraps around every muscle and bone. This intricate fascial web physically links the fine muscles of the hands...
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Ergonomics: Protecting Your Shoulders at a Desk Job

Modern desk jobs demand prolonged periods of sitting, which fundamentally challenges the natural mechanics of the human shoulder. When working at a computer, the arms are typically extended forward to...
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The Surprising Link Between Shoulders and the Jaw

It may seem highly unusual, but there is a distinct and powerful biomechanical connection between the shoulders and the jaw. The temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, relies heavily on the solid...
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Why the Jaw Can Slide Side to Side

Opening and closing is only part of what the TMJ can do. It can also slide the lower jaw left or right. This side-to-side move is called lateral excursion. When...
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How the Jaw Joint Got Its Long Name

The full name is temporomandibular joint. “Temporo” comes from the temporal bone, which is the side of the skull near the temple. “Mandibular” comes from the mandible, the lower jaw...
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Simple Ways Your Jaw Stays Flexible Every Day

Your jaw stays flexible because you move it all the time without thinking. Talking is one of the best natural exercises for the joint. Every word moves the jaw in...
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The Strong Muscle That Helps You Bite Hard

One of the main muscles that closes your jaw is called the masseter. It sits on the side of your face, running from your cheekbone down to the bottom of...
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How Kids’ Jaw Joints Grow and Change

The TMJ starts forming while a baby is still inside the mother. By about three months of pregnancy, the basic shape of the joint is already there. The bones and...
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The Soft Disc That Sits in the Middle

Inside each TMJ there is a small, soft pad made of tough tissue. People call it the articular disc. It sits right between the lower jaw bone and the skull...
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Why You Have Two Jaw Joints Instead of One

Humans have a jaw joint on the left side and another on the right side. They are connected by the lower jaw bone, which is one solid piece. When one...
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The Two Bones That Meet at the TMJ

One bone is the lower jaw, called the mandible. The top of this bone has a rounded part called the condyle. It looks a bit like a small ball. The...
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Your Jaw Moves More Than You Think

Your jaw joints are busy almost all day long. You use them when you talk, chew, swallow, and even when you smile or make faces. Scientists say the TMJ is...
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