Head on one side
Discomfort in the jaw is most often associated with problems in the temporomandibular joint, formed by the head of the lower jaw and the tubercle of the temporal bone, which, together with the articular disc, are enclosed in the articular capsule.
The movements in this joint are very complex: they are carried out not only by the masticatory muscle, but also by six other adjacent muscles. The movements of the lower jaw help us not only when eating, but also during conversation, laughter, and coughing. Related article Most patients with jaw dislocation are women
It is not surprising that the temporomandibular joint, according to medical observations, serves as the center of balance for the entire human body. With a symmetrical position of the lower jaw, the head muscles do not experience tension, and displacement of the lower jaw in any direction leads to an imbalance of the head. Problems in this area affect the muscles of the head, neck, temporomandibular joints, and cranial nerves and cause chronic pain on one side or, less commonly, on both sides of the face and head. Usually this condition has a very depressing effect on the patient; he completely “loses himself” and is unable to think about anything other than eliminating the pain.
Pain may appear in the morning, during the day or in the evening, this depends on the different types of joint damage and is important for the doctor to make a diagnosis.
Mouth shut. What to do if you have problems with your jaw joints
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When I yawn my chin cramps
Age-related changes that occur in the chin and surrounding areas have a very negative impact on the overall perception of the face.
As a rule, any wrinkles and, in particular, deep creases or ptosis of tissue in the lower third of the face give it a mournful expression and make a person visually older by 3-5, and sometimes even 10 years. Moreover, a characteristic feature of this zone is that negative changes can appear here not only after 40-45 years, but also at a younger age, which depends solely on the individual characteristics of the facial structure and the presence of certain habits. One of the main problems localized in the chin area is considered to be hypertonicity of the mental muscle, which can lead to a large number of aesthetic defects. Today we will talk about how it arises, how it affects appearance and how much it can be corrected. Features of the structure and principles of functioning of the mental muscle
The mental muscle (lat. musculus mentalis) starts from the alveolar elevations of the incisors located on the lower jaw, descends down, and then attaches to the skin of the chin. The main purpose of this muscle is to lift the skin on the chin upward, resulting in the appearance of a small dimple on it, as well as lifting the lower lip upward to press it against the upper one. The musculus mentalis is slightly overlapped by the muscle responsible for lowering the lower lip (lat. musculus depressor labii inferioris).
Hypertonicity or, as it is also called, spasm of the mentalis muscle occurs as a result of excessive activity of all structures in the lower third of the face, consisting of chewing on one side, curvature of the mouth, “twitching” of the chin, protrusion or pursing of the lips and similar grimaces that most often occur involuntarily as a result of established habits. With age, all this can lead to spasms of the musculus mentalis and the formation of various defects in appearance.
The effect of mental muscle spasm on appearance
It would seem that just one of the many facial muscles cannot radically change aesthetic characteristics, but in fact, it is the mental muscle that can significantly affect one’s appearance in a negative way. The spasmed musculus mentalis itself, as a rule, forms an ugly ball, very slightly or, on the contrary, protruding quite strongly on the chin, which depends on the strength of the spasm and the individual characteristics of the muscular structure of the entire face.
In most cases, hypertonicity of the mental muscle leads to stretching of the fibers of the musculus depressor labii inferioris, contributing to the formation of pronounced wrinkles, and, in some cases, deep creases in the chin area. This often manifests itself in the form of unsightly horizontal folds, wrinkling of the chin and the appearance of marionette lines. Of course, such changes distort facial expression, make a person look older and, in general, have an extremely negative impact on overall visual perception.
Methods for eliminating spasm of the mental muscle
Unfortunately, defects resulting from spasms of the musculus mentalis are quite problematic to correct due to the structural features and specific functioning of the muscular frame in the lower third of the face. A guaranteed method of getting rid of hypertonicity of the mental muscle is botulinum therapy. As a rule, to get rid of this problem, it is enough to make only two injections of botulinum toxin - 2.5 units into each abdomen of the musculus mentalis. However, the effect of botulinum toxin in this area often ends two and sometimes three times faster than in other areas of the face. This is due to the natural increased activity of the muscles in the chin area.
It is much easier to prevent a spasm of the mental muscle from occurring than to deal with it later. To prevent the appearance of such a defect, a professional relaxing facial massage is excellent, which is best completed in a course of 5-10 procedures 1-2 times a year. At home, it is advisable to regularly perform special gymnastics for the facial muscles, which can significantly reduce the likelihood of spasm of any muscle fibers and delay the occurrence of facial wrinkles.
To the dentist!
The cause of discomfort may also be due to incorrect position of the teeth. In this case, you will need the help of a maxillofacial dentist who will supply temporary or permanent splints and dentures that correct the incorrect position of the jaw.
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A rehabilitation doctor can help if the pain is caused by increased tone or tension of the masticatory muscles, limited mobility of the lower jaw, incoordination of contractions of the masticatory muscles, excessive mobility of the head of the lower jaw (sometimes this causes “clicking” in the temporomandibular joint).
Pain and clicking disappear after normalization of the function of the masticatory muscles and joint, except in cases where arthrosis deformans and inflammation in the joint are diagnosed. Then treatment should begin with following the recommendations of a rheumatologist and orthopedist.
Causes
Before starting to fight the disease, the doctor must find out its cause. Only this will help determine treatment tactics and prevent relapses in the future.
Why does my jaw cramp? The main culprits are:
• constant stress, nervousness, which force you to react violently to what is happening;
• bruxism (a person grinds his teeth in his sleep);
• muscle tension and spasm due to uneven load;
• physiological feature of yawning;
• pathological changes in the cervical vertebrae.
Attention - facial expressions!
After complex treatment, patients are recommended to use medicated mouth guards at night. They are made individually by the orthodontist. The pads reduce pain in the joint, an unpleasant feeling of heaviness, fatigue in the masticatory muscles, neck muscles, and normalize mouth opening.
In order to prevent this very annoying nuisance from happening again, you need to avoid active conversations while eating, an excited manner of speaking when a person does not notice what is happening with his facial expressions, as well as hypothermia, which can provoke inflammation in the joint, which makes him more prone to to incorrect movements, more vulnerable.
Why does jaw pain occur?
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Why does the lower jaw cramp?
There are situations when only the lower jaw is cramped. The cause of this phenomenon, as a rule, is a violation of the trigeminal nerve. In this case, the main symptom manifests itself in the form of severe paroxysmal pain, which can spread to both the teeth and the entire half of the face. Such sensations are temporary. The duration of the pain does not exceed half an hour, after which it subsides.
The same feature of pain is characteristic of oncological diseases of the head, oral cavity and nasopharynx. Therefore, if your jaw is cramped and there is a suspicion that the cause is a cancerous disease, you should immediately contact a medical institution, where, using CT, MRI, X-rays and biopsy, a full diagnosis will be carried out to determine the presence of a tumor.
Jaw cramps in sleep
Quite often, therapists hear complaints that the jaw cramps during night rest. This happens, as a rule, due to neuroses and stress. During sleep, our body relaxes, and muscle tension due to the resulting stress can cause a change in jaw position. In this situation, doctors recommend taking medications that calm the nervous system, such as Persen. It is also important that the medication contains antispasmodics, which will relieve muscle spasms.
Before starting treatment, it would not hurt to visit a neurologist. He will analyze the situation and give recommendations on whether you need to take medications or not.
Why does my jaw cramp?
Women may experience single or multiple symptoms of jaw spasms during pregnancy; they can be short-term or long-lasting. They occur in the following cases:
- when yawning;
- if you suffer from bruxism (grinding your teeth in your sleep);
- for nervous tension;
- for osteochondrosis and other lesions of the cervical spine;
- with muscle strain;
- for some dental problems.
The reasons for the appearance of unpleasant sensations on the right or left side of the jaw in a child or an adult may be associated with injury. What causes jaw cramps and how to cope with this condition – a specialist will tell you.
Lower jaw only
If you have cramping in your lower jaw, this may indicate damage to the trigeminal nerve, which is responsible for innervation of the face. Therefore, such pains radiate to the teeth and one half of the face; they differ in average duration from 10 to 20 minutes.
Pain due to injury
Everyone knows that surgical interventions in the jaw area, various injuries and damage to the face and neck do not pass without leaving a trace. A severe blow to the face can result in a jaw fracture. In addition, the jaw joint may be damaged, causing the jaws to be in an incorrect position and lose mobility, and an attempt to close them will be accompanied by acute pain in the joint area. If pain is associated with injury, swelling often appears at the site of injury.
