Jaw pain also called temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJD) is a common complaint that we see here at Yost Family Chiropractic. The symptoms of jaw dysfunction can vary from jaw pain, headaches, neck pain, tooth soreness, or in extreme cases even clicking, popping and locking of the jaw. People who suffer from chronic jaw pain can have one or even a collection of the above symptoms. There are many causes for jaw pain. Your jaw is a moving, working joint and because of that it can also become misaligned, causing you pain that requires an adjustment to fix. Another common cause that affects people is prolonged anterior head posture such as looking at computer screens or even phone screens for long periods of time. This can overload the small muscles in the front and back of the neck, which leads to tension traveling into the muscles surrounding the jaw. Proper posture is key when it comes to proper TMJ function. Getting your subluxations regularly corrected as well as doing a few simple stretches every day at home can help with any jaw or neck pain you may be having. We also treat TMJD with acupuncture here in the office. The jaw is a complicated joint and it is extremely important that is treated correctly. Prevention is an important part of the treatment of jaw pain. Identifying and removing triggers that lead to jaw clenching and addressing and correcting overall posture imbalances can really help those that suffer from daily jaw pain. I have attached a photo showing some simple jaw exercises to do at home that will help maintain jaw placement following a TMJ correction.  If you have any questions or are interested in getting your jaw checked, give us a call at 515-278-9678!