TMJ disorder and posture
TMJ disorder can affect your posture because of the connection between the bones in your neck and the muscles that move your jaws and your mouth. TMJ disorder can cause pain and soreness in the jaws, and when the jaw muscles are sore and overworked, head tilting and shoulder slouching can occur in a subconscious attempt to relieve the pain. When you hold your head and shoulders incorrectly, the rest of your spine falls “in line” – or in this case, out of line.
Misaligned teeth, misaligned spine
A bad bite can make your jaws work harder than they are designed to. This can cause TMJ symptoms from sore jaws to headaches and lead to posture problems. An unbalanced bite can cause stiff, tired jaw muscles which can tilt your head forward and become your standard posture.
The negative effects of poor posture
Poor posture can make attempts to straighten your posture painful. Good posture is necessary for any athletic and most physical activities. People with poor posture tend to avoid exercise or healthy physical activity, and as a result become physically unfit and have a general feeling of tiredness. Poor posture can also affect sleep and cause restless sleep, soreness upon awakening and a general feeling of fatigue during the day.
TMJ treatment can help
TMJ disorder can be treated by a dentist. Temporary or permanent TMJ treatment can position your teeth and jaws correctly to relieve pressure on your jaws and ease TMJ symptoms and pain. Your posture can benefit from the relief of TMJ pain, and you can see an improvement to your posture as straightening your neck head and spine becomes easier and more natural.
You can learn more about the connection between TMJ and bad posture by calling your Milwaukee dentist to set up a consultation appointment.