Face,
Neck and Shoulder Pain
Neck and shoulder pain are often associated with talking on the telephone to much, or sitting all day at a computer station. A bad bite can cause the upper and lower jaw to be out of balance with each other. When this relationship is out of sync, the muscles of jaw can be placed in a constant state of contraction. This can result in referred pain to the neck, shoulders and back. As the accompanying diagram shows, pressure from the muscles or a herniated disc can effect the nerves of the brachial plexus, which can result in tingling of the finger tips.
All of the muscles
of our body work together to create different movement.
Often times, when muscles are overworking they will recruit other muscles to help out. This is known as
muscle recruitment. The muscles of the head
and neck are all involved in the various functions of turning the head, chewing, talking, and breathing. When the muscles of the jaw are over-contracted, it will effect the muscles that hold you head up and the shoulders and back. This recruitment of other muscles results in their becoming
out of balance, resulting in pain. A neuromuscular dentist
does not treat these other symptoms, but often times they
will improve or disappear as the result of proper bite correction.
