Posted by Doug Elliott on October 16, 2001 at 14:09:17:
In Reply to: Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) posted by Pete on October 16, 2001 at 07:30:10:
I think TMJ is not a single problem, but can be caused or aggravated by lots of different activities or accidents. Whiplash or other trauma (that you may not even remember) can break or damage the cartilage in the joint, causing various symptoms: popping sounds, locked jaw in certain positions, jaw pain, ear pain, neck pain, etc., and tension that only makes it all worse.
My own experience was popping and a tight, locked feel on the left side when opening my mouth with my jaw out. Opening with the jaw in was less of a problem. Pressing in on my jaw helped, as mentioned in the post about the Horn Society seminar. I got opinions ranging from "operate immediately" to "wear a bite guard at night" to "wait, relax, and see what happens". I waited, relaxed, and eventually it went away. Now I can't even make it pop if I wanted to. It was continuous for about 10 years, but fortunately not painful at all. At the time I thought it was related to my playing, but now I don't think so. It didn't matter how much or little I played, including stopping for a few weeks.
Posture while playing and overall posture in the rest of your life can have a big effect on tension in that area. Chiropractors can help to correct things you aren't even aware of that can be causing tension in your back, neck, and jaw. It's a lot safer than surgery. Take your horn in and show the chiropractor your playing position, and maybe even how you carry the horn. Any activity you do regularly can have a detrimental effect that you may be able to correct.
Medical doctors, for the most part, have no idea what chiropractors can do.