Why is my jaw cracking every time I move it? - PaleoHacks.com

Why is my jaw cracking every time I move it?

2011-07-19T20:34:20Z

Over the past several weeks my jaw pops every time I move it. It's to the point now where Im constantly opening my mouth to pop it and pretend I'm yawning so people don't think I'm a crazy person. Its sore and tight and sometimes doesn't pop but feels like it needs to. I have an earache on the same side starting a few days ago when the popping started getting worse. I have been eating primarily raw over the past 3 or 4 weeks, only have had meat a couple times and I am wondering if it's related and how I can fix this (more details on my diet here- http://paleohacks.com/questions/48575/does-anyone-eat-a-primarily-raw-diet#axzz1SaKUOEuI) thanks.

Answer by Kelly for Why is my jaw cracking every time I move it?

2011-07-19T21:06:00Z

oh no, could very well be TMJ. Are you a teeth grinder? clencher??

Answer by Seth for Why is my jaw cracking every time I move it?

2011-07-19T21:24:27Z

could be a trigger point in the jaw muscles... this can easily be self-massaged

Answer by Cyn for Why is my jaw cracking every time I move it?

2011-07-19T21:27:11Z

You could have a mild type of TMJ that is exasperated by chewing. I have TMJ and beef jerky, carrot sticks, almonds - anything that requires some real hardy chewing will make my jaw ache and start popping. If it is inflamed enough or out of joint the pain could radiate to your ear and feel like an ear ache. Advil - (sorry I don't know the Paleo version) and resting your jaw will help a lot. My chiro sometimes does some thing that helps when it is acting up also.

Answer by chirocaveman for Why is my jaw cracking every time I move it?

2011-07-19T22:07:44Z

Trigger points of the temporalis and pterygoid muscles, which are responsible for most of your jaw movement, together with masseter and a couple of others, could be causing your problem. Trigger points are a kind of dysfunction where, basically, individual fibers within a muscles, rather than entire muscle, are tight and chronically contracted, creating pain and other phenomena that many doctors miss. Trigger points in these same muscles are also notorious for causing ear and tooth aches.

A massage therapist is able to correct this issue, but I would recommend seeing a chiropractor, since in addition to also having the knowledge to alleviate your trigger points, they are also skilled in restoring normal motion to the TMJ, if there is any dysfunction. It is all generally fairly easy to treat. Best of luck!

Answer by KristenM for Why is my jaw cracking every time I move it?

2011-07-19T22:21:07Z

In addition to the massage therapist, you really need to be eating more gelatin. It's essential for joint/cartilage health. Traditionally, it came to us in the form of home made slow-cooked bone broths when our ancestors conscientiously ate nose to tail. If you're not eating traditional bone broths daily, you could buy a well-made powdered gelatin. Great Lakes Bovine Gelatin and Bernard Jensen Gelatin are both made from grass-fed cows and are processed in a way that keeps free glutamic acid (like MSG) from forming. You can stir the flavorless gelatin into hot drinks like tea or coffee, add it to smoothies (it has 9g of protein per tsp, so it's a great protein boost, too), or make traditional jell-o like desserts/foods.

Answer by APC for Why is my jaw cracking every time I move it?

2011-07-19T23:42:54Z

take a look at your bite in the mirror. are only your molars actually touching, with your bite opening a bit as you continue forwards? a posterior open bite like this is a common cause of TMJ symptoms. heavy chewing, as is called for with raw foods, will strain your joints as your lower jaw tries to flex forwards and up for stability. if this is the case for you, you may need orthodontics to correct the open bite. specifically you will need upper molar intrusion aided by temporary anchorage devices. surgery is an option as well.

or you could just cook your food to soften it up. we've only been doing it for half a million years or so...

Answer by PersonMan for Why is my jaw cracking every time I move it?

2011-07-20T00:18:13Z

You must move your joints and this will reduce stiffness. It could be that the synovial fluid in the joint is too viscous. Chew, talk, etc...

Answer by Jennifer for Why is my jaw cracking every time I move it?

2011-07-20T02:48:16Z

Oh the joy of jaw-cracking...NOT.

I have suffered from TMJ for years. Finally got rid of it over the past year. A lot of it had to do with stress and anxiety. The TMJ caused the jaw cracking for me.

My dentist did make me a custom mouth guard/bite plate (very pricey, but my insurance covered one for a lifetime).

This helped a lot. It helped realign my bite. But always be cautious when having your bite realigned. Sometimes it can make the problem worse. Make sure your dentist is skilled and has done this type of procedure before.

I also did a bunch of mouth, check and jaw exercises. My favorite one is where you look in the mirror and try and slowly open your mouth as even as you can, until you can't open it any more. Hold for few seconds for a strech and then do it over a few times. During this strech, my jaw would always click, but over time it stopped.

Everyone once in a while I still have jaw clicking, but it's not constant as before and I'm no longer in any pain.

I would suggest seeing a dentist or orthadontist first and foremost. They can evaulate your mouth for eveness and any alighment problems. Sometimes it's an easy fix, and sometimes it takes time to be fixed.

Answer by Ali for Why is my jaw cracking every time I move it?

2011-07-20T15:50:16Z

Do you have sinus problems? It's possible you have a sinus infection and it's causing jaw pain. Here's a list of symptoms. I don't know if a sinus infection could actually cause your jaw to pop, but it can definitely cause jaw pain.

I have sinus problems as well as TMJ, so I get a lot of ear and jaw pain (and jaw popping). My jaw has gotten stuck in various positions as well; however, I never feel like I need to pop my jaw. Popping my jaw is always painful and I move my mouth around in strange ways to try and avoid it. The only time I purposely pop my jaw is when I have a headache. Somehow popping my jaw relieves tension and helps relax my neck and surrounding muscles.

Answer by Olivia for Why is my jaw cracking every time I move it?

2011-07-20T16:06:00Z

I have (or had) this too, including the ear pain, and I grind my teeth badly at night, maybe you are too. It's improved a lot since I started sleeping on my back and paying attention to relaxing my jaw during the day, my jaw still cracks but is no longer painful. But any foods I have to chew a lot make it worse (raw vegetables etc) so maybe ease up on the raw for a while?

Answer by JCB for Why is my jaw cracking every time I move it?

2011-07-20T17:18:18Z

FYI since I don't see where anyone else has mentioned it ... The "popping" or "cracking" you feel and hear is the small disc between your jawbone and skull getting momentarily stuck too far forward and then snapping back into place - sometimes from slightly stretched ligaments. Those who have mentioned their jaw gets "stuck" have had this disc move even farther forward until it does, indeed, get stuck and can actually keep you from closing your mouth. (Take it from me, this can be REALLY painful.) If this happens, the jaw may need to be manually moved slightly down and back for enough space to be created in the joint to allow the release of the trapped disc (and may take someone else to help since it is hard to get the proper leverage on yourself). Once inflammation is present from the joint/disc being irritated, the problem becomes more acute and you need to take some kind of anti-inflammatory (whatever you are comfortable with - ibuprofen, turmeric, etc.) and rest the joint as much as possible.

Multiple things can cause this and, yes, too much or too heavy chewing like from your gum or raw vegetables can be one of them. In my case, it was a wisdom tooth that didn't have enough room and was impinging on the joint and the problem gradually resolved once it was removed. So, my suggestion would be to watch carefully for what seems to trigger the problem and check with your dentist and chiropractor as others have suggested.

Answer by Elise for Why is my jaw cracking every time I move it?

2011-08-24T21:18:20Z

Also TMJ can be caused by short neck flexors. http://www.mobilitywod.com/2010/12/episode-109365-neck-of-desk-warrior.html

Answer by turkeytyme for Why is my jaw cracking every time I move it?

2011-08-25T04:10:36Z

Have you ever had dental work done? I started having problems like this when one of my crowns became so worn down that my teeth weren't biting together properly. It puts all sorts of strain on your jaw muscles and eventually you start having issues with your TMJ (temperomandibular joint).

Answer by HopeTooHelp for Why is my jaw cracking every time I move it?

2012-09-10T21:57:20Z

Well from what a lot of you are saying I did have the same problem,(cracking jaw,weird noise by ear) and I assume its from sleeping with your mouth open and your jaw going out of place. For me it was. Take your hand and put some pressure on the side that's cracking and open your mouth and close it. If the cracking stopped while you put pressure on your jaw then your in good shape. Sleep with your mouth closed when you go to bed and sleep on your side so that your jaw is resting on your pillow on the side that's cracking. Over time it will slowly go back into place maybe not perfect but it will stop the cracking. Don't expect it to work over night, within like 2 weeks mine was already getting better.