Have you ever woken up in the morning with jaw pain and extreme headaches? Does your jaw ever lock up, making it a challenge to eat? If so, you might be dealing with a temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder. This disorder is relentless, but cold laser therapy has the ability to help relieve your TMJ pain.

At The Snoring and Sleep Apnea Center, we specialize in TMJ pain and innovative ways to treat it. Dr. Katharine Christian is a dentist and sleep medicine expert who uses cold laser therapy to decrease your symptoms and get your life back from the grips of TMJ.

TMJ Disorder — Understanding the Symptoms

Your jaw is a hinge joint that’s connected to your skull. Two temporomandibular joints are located on your face, in front of each ear. This joint allows you to open and close your mouth and chew your food. However, like any other joint, it can become inflamed and cause issues with moving your jaw.

TMJ disorders not only cause issues with your joint, but also lead to problems with the muscles that surround your joint. But how do you know if you’re dealing with TMJ? Some of the common symptoms associated with this disorder include:

• Pain in your jaw or neck
• Stiffness in your jaw
• Your jaw locking open or shut
• Trouble opening your mouth
• Popping or clicking in your jaw

This disorder can severely impact your life, as your jaw needs to work properly in order for you to eat and talk. The pain of TMJ not only affects you physically, but it often takes a toll on your mental health as well. It’s difficult to get the pain under control and live normally without some form of treatment. This is where Dr. Christian helps — with cold laser therapy.

The Ins and Outs of Cold Laser Therapy

Cold laser therapy is a noninvasive form of treatment that Dr. Chrisitain uses to get your TMJ discomfort under control. The treatment doesn’t involve any incisions or needles, and has zero downtime after the procedure.

The treatment uses extremely low intensity light to heal damaged tissue. Unlike other forms of laser therapy that use heat to break down tissue to heal, the single wavelength of light used in cold laser therapy isn’t enough to produce any amount of heat. So, if no heat is used, how does this type of therapy work? 

During the procedure, your provider uses a hand-held tool, gently touching it to your face around the area of discomfort. Your body absorbs the light, leading to a physiological reaction in the damaged tissue and cells. Your body then prompts that area to begin cell regeneration, helping to heal your tissues.

During the procedure, you shouldn’t feel any discomfort or pain in the area. The treatment is quick; however, it may take about a month for you to notice results.

Cold laser therapy is an effective tool to help relieve the painful symptoms of TMJ. Dr. Christian assesses your symptoms, and may order imaging studies to confirm a diagnosis of TMJ disorder. If you’ve tried other treatments without success, she may recommend cold laser therapy to help get rid of your pain.

Cold laser therapy has the ability to decrease your jaw discomfort. If you’re ready to try this revolutionary therapy, call our office today at (206) 770-0260, or request an appointment using our online booking tool.