Tmj and MLD

TMJ or Temporomandibular joint is bilaterally located on the side of the human head.

TMJ and Movement

Upper Compartment

  • Protrusion
  • Retrusion

Lower Compartment

  • Lower the Jaw
  • Raise the Jaw

Lateral Deviation

Said so:

  • the opening is the combination of Protrusion plus Lowering the Jaw
  • closing the mouth is Retrusion plus Raising the Jaw.

TMJ and Pain

When TMJ is in pain, we can find it hard to talk, eat and sometimes even rest, as the pain can be pretty strong.

Moving forward, not everyone knows that deep under TMJ we have what we call Parotid Gland.

The Parotid Gland is a salivary gland, and if gets infected, it can swallow up and be quite painful.

What can happen at the Parotid Gland is an accumulation of calcium in its duct, and saliva can’t be expelled.

Even though viruses or bacteria can also be responsible for TMJ infection.

What also most people are not aware of is that in the Parotid Gland, there are lymph nodes.

TMJ and MLD.

TMJ Pain

The fact that the gland can be swollen is an indication that fluid is stuck in it.

MLD, thanks to the boosting of the lymphatic system, which is responsible for reducing swelling in the body, can be the perfect technique to reduce the swelling and so restore the functionality of TMJ.

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The Parotid Gland lymph nodes unload their Lymph Obligatory Load into the cervical nodes.

So as per usual, at the start of the MLD treatment, we will work along the upper neck, medial neck and then the terminal (just between the clavicle and the upper trap).

In addition, what makes a difference with MLD is that is a pain-free technique. That would allow the client suffering from TMJ pain to receive a treatment that would not aggravate the pain feeling and would end up giving a deep relaxation too.

Other work techniques can be used, such as Myotherapy and Remedial Massage trigger point, or dry needling for Myotherapy treatment.

The Remedial Massage TMJ treatment is a valuable technique but would not resolve the problem at the root cause.

In conclusion, MLD is probably the best manual, not invasive treatment that can be done for TMJ.

Talk to your dentist about this option, and if they are not aware of what MLD is, don’t be surprised, it is, yes an excellent technique, but it is still not well known by many practitioners, dentist included.

 

 

 


Giovanni La Rocca

Giovanni moved to Melbourne, Australia, from Italy in 2008 and became a citizen in 2017. He started studying massage therapy in 2016, then completed a Bachelor of Health Science in Clinical Myotherapy in August 2024. During those years, he also specialised in Thai Massage and Manual Lymphatic Drainage for presentations like Lipedema and Lymphoedema. Nowadays, he runs his clinic in Fitzroy North, Melbourne, where he integrates movement therapy into his practice to enhance overall well-being. He also values meditation, having completed several Vipassana courses. Committed to continuous learning, he aims to share his expertise in integrated therapies to help others achieve balance and resilience.

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