TMJD Symptom Series, Part 7: Throat
As we’ve learned from earlier posts, when your TMJ is overworked, displaced or swollen, the effects can be felt in different areas of your body. It’s not surprising that the mouth or throat would experience TMJ symptoms as the muscle surrounding your mouth are active every single day.
Here are 5 TMJD symptoms that are often experienced in your mouth and throat:
Difficulty swallowing
You swallow between 500 and 2,000 times every day. Each time you swallow, tiny muscles surrounding your throat become activated in order to push the food or liquid down your esophagus. When your TMJ is swollen or sore, swallowing can flare a sting of pain. It’s possible you’ll also hear a clicking sound each time you swallow.
Tightness of throat and slurred speech
Even with a slight shift of the TMJ, a tightened throat and slurred speech are very possible if you have TMJD. When the throat is inflamed, it will cause your throat to feel tight and therefore may alter how your tongue works. The way that we speak is a direct result of the specific positioning of the tongue across the roof of our mouths or back of the teeth. When the tongue is slightly shifted from a shift of your TMJ, the tongue will hit the roof of the mouth or the back of the teeth in different places.
Pain in the roof of your mouth
One of the branches of the trigeminal nerve is directed towards the maxilla, or bone that connects your top teeth and the area just under your nose. As the nerve endings extend over the roof of your mouth, sending pain sensations to that region.
Numbness, tongue tingling or tongue pain
When the TMJ is properly aligned, the jaw moves smoothly and in a comfortable motion; however, when your TMJ is misaligned or impaired, the tongue is not able to fall into its normal resting place. If that’s the case, strain can hinder nerve functionality thereby resulting in tingling, numbness or pain.
Voice fluctuations and laryngitis
Pressure exerted on the mandible (jaw bone) will affect the amount of use on the larynx, or the top of our esophagus. Our vocal cords sit within the larynx and serve as a “sliding door,” allowing air to come out of the diaphragm as we speak (our voice) and food or liquid to descend as we eat or drink. When the larynx is inflamed, it will alter how air exits our body and therefore, your voice can sound scratchy or muffled.
If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, it would be a safe bet to schedule an appointment with TMJ Massage to learn what options of treatment are available to you.
