While tension-relieving exercises and even a professional TMJ massage brought temporary relief, the discomfort was relentless, and I’d still wake up in pain on most mornings. Until I tried acupuncture. After spending hours on the internet searching for relief, I had started reading about how acupuncture could help treat pain from jaw clenching. The discomfort was a real mood killer at this point, so, without any hesitation, I made an appointment at a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) health center. The TCM practitioner patiently heard my complaints and then confidently informed me that she could help. Even our very own Paige Bourassa, MSTOM, L.Ac., RHN, from the mbg Collective, says, “As far as relief from TMD and neck pain, yes, acupuncture can be incredibly effective. We treat a large number of neck and jaw pain cases on a regular basis at the practice and get great results with that, plus recommending a couple other key lifestyle practices.” When specifically treating pain from TMD, needles are inserted where the pain is located, around the ear and the jaw. From my personal experience, the moment the needle is inserted into the ST 7 Xiaguan acupuncture point, I can feel the relief, almost instantly. When the needle punctures the skin, there’s a tiny prick, but that’s the extent of any discomfort during the treatment. Two appointments later, the jaw pain subsided and I even stopped unconsciously clenching as intensely. While every individual reacts differently to acupuncture, for me it’s the only thing that has relieved my jaw and neck pain. So while I’ll always be susceptible to reverting to clenching, acupuncture provides the only real relief that lasts.
