Health Watch: How your body posture affects your joints

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (KAUZ) - Today’s Health Watch covers a problem that many people suffer from: bad posture.

News Channel 6 interviewed Dr. James Green of StarImage Dentistry to discuss the consequences of bad posture and how it can lead to disorders of the temporomandibular joint, also referred to as the TMJ.

“TMJ is the acronym for temporomandibular joint. That’s actually the anatomical name for the jaw joints,” said Dr. Green.

A TMJ disorder involves the head, neck and face, so bad habits like leaning forward while on your phone or on the computer can contribute to the problem. Symptoms like headaches, neck problems, shoulder pain, face pain and ear problems can all be indicative of a TMJ disorder.

“With TMJ problems, if the jaw is in the wrong position, that can also lead to forward head posture. So posture is very important for your overall health, your head, your neck, but as well as the TMJ joints. So when we do our treatments we work on posture as part of our treatment,” said Dr. Green.

Treatments for a TMJ disorder, Dr. Green stated, can include physical therapy, awareness of factors contributing to the problem, and simply paying attention to your body.

If you think you might be suffering from TMJ symptoms, contact your dentist.

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