CranioSacral Therapy & the Mouth

Nothing hurts worse than a sore jaw. Every time you bite down or chew the joint that connects the jaw to the upper palate (the temporal mandible joint – or TMJ) can cry out in pain. What can be even worse is when both TMJ’s are affected. Because you have to chew and eat, there is really no rest for TMJ’s. Some dentists make mouth guards for clients to wear at night. It is their hope that if the client clenches his/her jaw during sleep, he/she will have a soft surface to bite, rather than grinding the teeth and tightening those TMJ’s. But if that doesn’t work, and the condition worsens, there is no other remedy to loosen those tight joints except surgery.

CranioSacral Therapy has proven invaluable in loosening the temporal mandible joint, and all other parts of the upper and lower palates of the mouth. Many people have been relieved of TMJ syndrome simply by having a few CS sessions.

Therapy for the Mouth

CranioSacral Therapy is a wonderful healing modality that can address many chronic conditions of the body in a gentle yet effective manner. It is also unique because advanced practitioners are trained to work with TMJ and mouth problems, such a teeth grinding, mouth surgery recovery, and TMJ syndrome. Using very light touch, the practitioner gloves up and helps the inner workings of the mouth to release. Those inner parts include the maxilla, vomer, palatines, TMJ, tongue, and zygomatic bones. Over the years I have had the great gift of treating many clients with all sorts of mouth conditions. The following are a few stories I would like to share with you.

Linda received extensive surgery to her upper right molar. The procedure lasted over two hours in which she needed to keep her mouth open. Afterwards, she complained that her right TMJ was very painful. As a result, she could not chew or close her mouth properly without extreme discomfort. During the CranioSacral session the TMJ was released, and Linda was pain free.

Mary tripped on the steps of her front porch, and fell face first on to the ground. She received a severe blow to her nose and the front of her mouth, jamming the maxilla back into her head. With the CranioSacral treatment the maxilla released into normal position, her bite realigned, and she quickly recovered.

Ten years ago Bob had all of his teeth pulled and received permanent hardware in his mouth for clip in dentures. Since that time his tonque was constantly sore, and he suffered TMJ and jaw pain. With CranioSacral treatment, the maxilla and TMJ released, the hardware rested more peacefully in his mouth, and his tonque began to heal.

CranioSacral therapy was developed by osteopath Dr. John Upledger in the late 1970’s. His technique is now used all over the world. What sets CranioSacral therapy apart from other healing modalities is that it is based on light touch- many times no more than 5 grams. While assessing the cranial rhythm (the flow of cerebral spinal fluid that moves up and down the spine) the practitioner can treat holding patterns anywhere in the body. That also includes the cranial bones and the mouth. Children and the elderly also respond well to this type of treatment because of its non-invasive qualities.