Dr. Kwang Lee Wellness Center · Glendale, CA
TMJ & Jaw Pain Treatment in Glendale, CA: Acupuncture & Manual Therapy
Jaw pain, clicking and tight chewing muscles often go together with neck tension and headaches. Dr. Kwang Lee, D.C., L.Ac., treats the jaw joint, the chewing muscles and the upper neck as one system, using acupuncture and gentle manual therapy.
Problems we see every week
- Jaw pain or fatigue when chewing
- Clicking or popping when opening the mouth
- Jaw that locks or opens only partway
- Clenching or grinding, especially at night
- Ear fullness or temple headache with jaw tension
- Face pain after dental work or stress
What treatment involves
- Examination of jaw opening, joint sounds, chewing muscles and the upper neck
- Gentle manual therapy to the jaw joint and masseter and temporalis muscles
- Acupuncture and electro-acupuncture for muscle tension and pain
- Upper-cervical treatment when neck tension drives jaw symptoms
- Self-release, relaxation and jaw-rest habits; coordination with your dentist on night guards
Treatments we use for this problem
- Acupuncture, Electro-Acupuncture & CuppingBack, neck, joint, nerve and myofascial pain · Headache and migraine frequency · Stress, tension and poor sleep
- Manual Therapy & Sports MedicineMuscle strains and sports injuries · Scar tissue and adhesions after injury · Tight, overworked muscles and fascia
- Chiropractic AdjustmentAcute and chronic back pain, neck pain and sciatica · Tension and neck-related headaches · Radiating pain into the arms or legs
- Class 4 Cold Laser (Photobiomodulation)Ligament sprains and muscle strains · Tendonitis and bursitis, including tennis elbow · Neck, lower back and knee pain
See a doctor or emergency room first if you have
- Jaw locked open or closed after an injury
- Jaw pain with chest pain, arm pain or shortness of breath
- Swelling, fever or a bad taste suggesting infection
- Numbness of the face or sudden facial weakness
Questions patients ask
Should I see a dentist or you first?
If you have tooth pain or a bite problem, see your dentist. For muscle and joint pain, clicking and tension, we can usually help and will coordinate with your dentist if a night guard is useful.
Does acupuncture help TMJ?
Acupuncture has good evidence for muscle-related jaw pain, reducing pain and tension in the chewing muscles.
Will the clicking go away?
Clicking from a displaced disc may lessen but not always disappear. The goal is a jaw that opens fully without pain.
Can I be treated in Korean?
Yes. Dr. Lee sees patients in Korean and English.